Seddon to fill out Cd'A school board

COEUR d’ALENE — Anne Seddon, a former public school teacher, will be the Coeur d’Alene School District’s newest trustee.

The four sitting members of the five-member school board unanimously selected Seddon for appointment Monday during a special board meeting.

“The reason I chose to seek appointment was because I’m able to bring the perspective of being a teacher and an advocate for children,” Seddon told The Press following the board’s decision.

Board members Sid Fredrickson, Tom Hamilton, Terri Seymour and Jim Purtee said it was those qualities that moved Seddon to the top of the list of five applicants who sought appointment to fill the Zone 4 trustee seat formerly held by Diane Zipperer.

Zipperer submitted her resignation April 30, saying that balancing her board work with her time at her job had become difficult.

“Her (Seddon’s) experience and knowledge of the school district would be beneficial...She has a passion for education,” said Trustee Seymour, before casting her vote.

Tom Hamilton said Seddon will bring needed diversity to the board, now made up primarily of business people.

“You really do need a broad spectrum,” Fredrickson said.

Seddon holds a master’s degree in early childhood education. She taught in schools in Boston, New York and Arizona.

She has lived in the Coeur d’Alene area for about 15 years. She owned and operated a tutoring business until 2007 when she retired. Seddon has volunteered in schools in Post Falls, and most recently in the schools in Coeur d’Alene.

She has regularly attended school board meetings in Coeur d’Alene through the years, and has at times been vocal about her concerns. But she has also commended the district administrators and teachers for their successes.

“What I see in this district is a real commitment to excellence in education,” Seddon said.

Three of the other four applicants — Rebecca Smith, Jeff Child and Dan Scheckler — also attended the meeting and were informally interviewed by the board members prior to their selection of Seddon. Applicant Linda Davis was out of town and could not be present.

Smith, with extensive community planning experience and education experience, and Sheckler, an attorney and former Bonner County Planning and Zoning Commissioner, are relative newcomers to the Coeur d’Alene community. Both have young children.

Child, also an attorney, is a Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy board member.

Hamilton and Fredrickson encouraged the applicants who were not selected to consider serving on one of the district’s committees that address issues like long-range planning and policy review.

“I’m thrilled with the quality of people that applied, especially the young ones, because they are the future of this community,” Seddon said.

She will likely be sworn in at the board’s next regular meeting in June, and will fill the Zone 4 seat for the balance of Zipperer’s term which ends June 30, 2013.

Seddon will have to win election in May 2013 to serve another term.