Board of Trustees

 

 

 

William B. Johnson

 

The experience of being on a school board has taught Bill Johnson several things.  “Everyone runs with the idea that “I” can make a difference.  But if you’re only one vote out of seven it’s not going to work.  Being on the board has to be a team effort.”  Johnson says each board member brings a different view of education.  “A successful board can harness its members and get them to pull in one direction.”

 

Johnson has always been interested in education.  He has taught banking and finance courses at the Laredo Community College and, for the last ten years, he has taught business through Junior Achievement at United High School.  “I like being around educators and kids,” Johnson said.  In addition, he has served as a little league coach since 1981.  “It’s a tough job, but I enjoy it.”   

 

Johnson, a native of Laredo has a wife and three children.  He graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelors degree in political science.  He is a first vice-president at Laredo National Bank. 

 

Overall, Johnson says his experience on the board has been positive.  “It’s been a good opportunity.  You have to work with a lot of different people but it has taught me a lot.”  One of the lessons Johnson has learned is that being on the board takes a lot of preparation.  With the thousands of pages of memos and reports that need to be looked at, Johnson says the board has to make time to study.  “When I first joined the board I figured all I had to do was go to about 24 meetings a year.”  In his first year Johnson had to attend 172 meetings. 

 

“You quickly learn that you need at least four votes to get anything done.”  According to Johnson, the current United ISD school board may not always agree on everything, but they know how to work well together.  The district has several Exemplary and Recognized campuses where as before there were none.  The district also earned praise from former comptroller John Sharp for saving taxpayers millions of dollars.
 
It is the policy of the United Independent School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability in the Career and Technology programs, services or activities, as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

Es norma de United I.S.D. el no discriminar por motivos de raza, color, origen nacional, sexo o impedimento, en sus programas, servicios o actividades, tal como lo requieren el Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964, según enmienda; el Título IX de las Enmiendas en la Educación de 1972, y la Sección 504 de la Ley de Rehabilitación de 1973, según la enmienda.