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Photo by Alexandra Sondeen
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Manchester resident Lamont "Monty" Okey displays his Snoopy mailbox that greets visitors as they drive through Manchester on M-52. Okey has served on the Manchester Community Schools Board of Education for nearly a decade and has overseen many school projects.
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After nearly a decade serving the students and faculty at Manchester Community Schools, local resident Dr. Lamont "Monty" Okey will step down from the Board of Education in June.
Famous for his jovial attitude, Snoopy mailbox and caramel apples at Halloween, Okey maintains a powerful presence in the Manchester community. Together with his wife Joann, Okey moved to Manchester in 1981 after serving a tour of duty in San Diego with the U.S. Navy.
In 1999 Okey was appointed to the School Board to fill a vacancy. He then ran successfully for election in 2000 and was reelected in 2004.
"I've always felt that the education of our kids is one of the most important aspects of our lives," he said.
Okey said he did not join the Board in order to reform the school system, but to serve as a pillar of support for Manchester Community Schools.
"I did not go into it with any reform ideas," Okey said. "I wanted to support the education of our children in Manchester and of children in general."
But, with the struggling Michigan economy, Okey said he was often faced with difficult decisions pertaining to state funding and budget cuts.
"The most difficult thing I've faced in the last eight and a half years on the School Board has been procuring enough state funds to give our students in Manchester the best education they could have," he said. "Year in and year out, we're limited by the money we get from the state and it's very difficult."
He said small school systems especially have been feeling the strain of lower state funding for education.
"It's a chronic problem and it's not going to get any better unless the state finds funds to provide for all kids in public education," Okey said.
He also said that while the money the state Legislature pays per student has gone up a bit in the last few years, the funding has not kept up with the rate of inflation.
As the problem continues to grow, Okey said he can see two possible solutions.
"The only solutions would be to increase taxes or to allow districts to put up bonds for more money, which is what they're looking at presently both in Manchester as well as in Washtenaw County," he said.
Okey said one of the biggest discrepancies facing state schools today is the No Child Left Behind Act created by President George W. Bush. He said while its intentions were good, the act created a discrepancy that left some children bored and not reaching their full potential.
"Personally, I think that there are some real drawbacks to it and discrepancies where they pushed it through too fast as more of a political agenda," he said.
Looking back over the past eight years, Okey said he is proud to have been part of the Board and he is stepping down with no regrets.
"Sometimes it's difficult when you have to make tough choices but I think that our board's been very good in accepting that challenge," Okey said.
Among the most difficult decisions the Board has made in the last few years include building the new high school, negotiating contracts for teachers and support staff and deciding how to make cuts when the district had a deficit in their operational budget, he said.
Despite the numerous obstacles, Okey has always been happy with the educational system, stating the district "stacks up very well against other small school systems."
"It's shown in our graduation rates and MEAP scores," he said. "I think we do an excellent job when you look at educating children from all walks of life."
Okey said he believes parental involvement is extremely important for education and urges local parents to volunteer time to the School Board or one of the district's many committees.
"Manchester parents are outstanding when it comes to volunteering," Okey said.
He said he'd like to see the schools provide the best education possible for Manchester students, as well as students across the state.
"... And if it requires putting more money into their education, then so be it," he said. "I would like to hope that the Manchester community would support any additional revenue that we might be able to retain within the next two to three years."
Okey will officially retire from the School Board June 30.
"I think it's time for me to step down," he said. "We no longer have any kids in the school system. I think it's important that you get a good mix of School Board members who have children still in the system as well as some School Board members who have had years of experience."
Alexandra Sondeen is a Eastern Michigan University college intern with The Manchester Enterprise. She can be reached at asondeen@emich.edu.
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