Elected by the Association of Alaska School Board's 15-member board, Swain will serve first as Secretary/Treasure, next year as President-Elect, and then as President.
Bristol Bay Borough School Board President Michael Swain has been elected to the governing body of the Association of Alaska School Boards.
"It's typically a progressive leadership," explains Swain. You start as the Secretary/Treasurer, the next year you would be elected as President-elect, then the following year you would serve as President of the Association."
A small business owner and lifelong resident of King Salmon, Swain has been president of the Bristol Bay Borough School Board for 7 years.
He says this new leadership position will be an opportunity to advocate for Alaskan students in the face of budget cuts at the state level.
"You know, some of the things being discussed at state level are raising the minimum number required for state contribution from 10 to 25, or something similar to that; or the forced consolidation of districts or schools," said Swain. "And those are all things that AASB as a body opposes, and that I personally oppose."
The AASB is made up of more than 330 school board members from public schools throughout the state, and is governed by a board of 15 directors. Its leadership positions are unpaid.
Contact the author at hannah@kdlg.org.