BERNE — , a Berne resident, was a BKW teacher and served one term on the school board just after she retired from teaching. She taught for 34 years at the district, and spent much of her career in the Berne elementary school teaching fourth and sixth grades. She wrote the grant for the for the Books ’R’ Us program and the storefronts throughout the BKW elementary school.

After retiring, Lounsbury said, it has been very difficult to distance herself from the students and the district. Lounsbury began tutoring BKW students two years ago.
"It kind of re-ignites the flames," she said. "I feel very attached to it"I’m a lifer."

Lounsbury said she respects the people involved in developing next year’s budget.
"I look forward to the opportunity to join them in constructing future budgets. I believe it is important to offer a quality program, good working conditions for employees at an affordable cost," she said.
Lounsbury said she is interested in hearing final details for the budget at the public hearing next week. "There is still the missing piece about the impact of the proposed addition — building, furnishings, heating — on the taxpayer," she said.
If the budget is voted down, Lounsbury said, the district should move to a contingency budget. "The voters’ decision should be respected," she said.
Lounsbury favors Spanish for the elementary-school foreign language program. "It is a practical choice in the U.S.A. today," she said.
Suggestions for additional classes should come from parents, students, staff, and the community at large — similar to the idea for teaching foreign language in the elementary school, she said. "The board needs to assure there is a well-thought-out system for not only evaluating our existing programs but also any proposed programs and electives."
"Saving money cannot be the driving force behind bringing autistic students back to the district," said Lounsbury. "Many researchers hold that children with autism need a program that can provide individually appropriate instruction, social interaction, and development, as well as support and respect," she said.
"We need to know how our program will compare to the current out-of-district placements and what spectrum of autism we are addressing. Issues such as in-district staffing, appropriate physical classroom space, support services of people trained to work with and evaluate autistic students, busing considerations, potential cafeteria issues, and needed resources must be carefully assessed," she said.
"We need to be sure we are not going to ‘disadvantage’ the students who are moved back to the district," Lounsbury said.
To have a successful program, she said, employees and students must be educated about autism and properly prepared for the new placements. "A program evaluation plan needs to be put in place in advance," she said. "We also need to take a look at the alternatives in the event the program is not as successful as anticipated. I am not privy to the thinking behind this decision but would believe that our trained professionals have already taken all of these factors into account," she said.
Lounsbury said she prefers five-year terms for school board members. "As a former five-year term board member, I know firsthand that the longer term provides more opportunity to become familiar with procedures and policies," she said.