MARYSVILLE — With 15 years of living in Marysville and 14 years of working with the Marysville School District under his belt, recently sworn-in MSD Board Director Chris Nation expressed optimism about the direction of Marysville’s schools and community.

A Marysville parent who became involved with the school district by taking part in the bond and levy campaign, Nation not only served on the general advisory council but also chaired the oversight committee for the 2006 bond, in addition to his work with the Marysville Rotary Educational Foundation. He cited the mitigation fee funded secondary options campus construction and the completion of Grove Elementary as just two examples of the district’s slogan of “promises made, promises kept.”

“Grove was part of a voter-approved plan that they’ve been able to see all the way through to its end, with the smiles on the faces of the kids who now go there,” Nation said. “It’ll be the same with the Getchell campus high school next year. When you go without for so long, you don’t understand the impact until you have it.”

Nation acknowledged that the school district had been marked by dissension between district administrators, teachers, the Tulalip Tribes and within the community as a whole, but he sees a positive momentum in the district’s current course.

“It has to be for the kids,” Nation said. “They’re our most valuable assets. Morale is up at schools like Tulalip Elementary and the kids are excited. The board is considering the budget, which is a big issue that presents big problems, but we’ll calmly concentrate and discuss all possible solutions, rather than just focusing on one answer right away. We’ve got five people who all have good sets of eyes.”

While Nation welcomes community input, he also advised community members to bring up their concerns at levels below the board first, to try and deal with smaller problems before they become larger.

Nation echoed his predecessor in office, Don Hatch Jr., in calling for greater parent participation at school board meetings, as well as in the lives of their children.

“It takes all of us, but education starts at home, with the parents,” Nation said. “Read with them, help them with their homework and talk to them about their days. That will lead to success in the long run.”