BidsAfter thirty-five and a half years as a school board member, Carole Bannister announced her retirement from the Fraser Board of Education. She stated it was simply time and that she is in perfect health.

“Though Carole will be retiring as a Board member, she has committed to remaining involved in our FPS programs and activities and we will continue to see her in attendance supporting our students and staff,” Dr. Richards said in an email to Fraser staff.

Though her years as a board member, Mrs. Bannister has seen growth in our school district’s education and use of technology, which were games when Mrs. Bannister was first starting at Fraser in 1960.

“I saw the potential for the future in technology. We were a small school district; we were cautious we didn’t really leap into anything at the time. We always waited until we were sure something was working before we would get involved,” Bannister said, “Now, we’re innovative, a decided difference. We kind of lead now instead of trotting along behind the leaders, and I like that.”

From where we started out as a district, today we are well known state and acknowledged nationally.

“We are recognized as an innovative school. That is phenomenal, and that is where we want to be. And we want to keep getting better. We’re never perfect, we’re never the best, there’s always someone who can be better than we are. So we have to keep working at it.”

After her final day on December 31, 2014, Mrs. Bannister will say goodbye after 54 years at Fraser. She first came to Fraser in 1960; she ran and was elected for office in 1979. To properly say her goodbyes, Mrs. Bannister went around to each of the schools to speak with the students and staff.

One aspect Mrs. Banister will continue with is reading to the elementary schools. She promised each school that her reading visits would not end.

“I read at all the elementary schools,” Bannister said. “I usually bring my own books, so its something different from what they see in their own media. If they attract my attention, and they have a message –I’m usually looking for a message like “be kind to your fellow man” and “how to behave in a storm”.

Along with her readings, Mrs. Bannister will continually return to visit south end of the building events. She went to several of the Christmas concerts held from December 8^th to the 18^th.

“I’m a south end of the building groupie, all the art programs. I always come to the concerts –even the elementary ones,” Mrs. Bannister said.

Besides coming back to visit, Mrs. Bannister is looking to delve deeper into political activism. Mrs. Bannister has done everything from knocking on doors to making phone calls to meet and greets and anything that one can think of that’s in the political arena.

“Recently in the last few years, it has been more selective. I was very involved in politics while I was working, and I kind of lightened up as I’ve gone along,” Bannister said.

Because of her participating in several areas in the political arena, Mrs. Bannister joked that the only thing left was running for office.