▶️ Listen to this article now.

SANDPOINT — They came for one reason — to say thank you.

With Lake Pend Oreille School Board members Cary Kelly and Gary Suppiger attending their last meeting Tuesday, community members and the Democratic Women's group turned out to thank them for what they've done to help students and the community.

"Education is a non-partisan issue, so we support candidates who have a strong public education platform regardless of their political affiliation," members said in a statement read at the Dec. 14 LPOSD board meeting.

DemWo said members — and the community — will always put the needs of children first.

"Education is one of the pillars our country was founded on," members said in the statement. "It is the great equalizer. Public education in our country ensures that all people have equal opportunities to achieve the level of education they dream of."

Public education has a rich history in the county — and Kelly, Suppiger and LPOSD Superintendent Tom Albertson, upheld that tradition during recent challenges, among them successfully passing a permanent levy to bring financial stability to the district.

"This helps the taxpayer by fixing the yearly levy amount with little opportunity to raise the amount even to account for inflation," DemWo members said. "It saves the district money and valuable time by not wasting resources every two years on the levy election. It gives teachers and staff the peace of mind to know that their jobs and programs will not be in jeopardy every two years. This is essential to retaining highly qualified teachers and educational staff."

With almost two dozen members and another 10 or so from the community, Tuesday's meeting offered a chance to say thank you.

"The loud minority seems to get the attention while the majority sits quietly in support," DemWo members said. "This [was] our chance to let the board know that they have the community's support."

That financial stability meant the creation of tuition-free, full-day kindergarten for all who want it, additional afterschool learning programs, new career technical education pathways, college prep courses and expanded student clubs.

And, key among them, were vital support programs that helped curtail the number of teen suicides in the area.

"Our community has been so fortunate to have such qualified and dedicated public servants who have consistently put the best interests of our children first," DemWo members said in the statement. "They have used evidence-based research as their guide, and while everyone may have not always agreed with every decision made, we have always supported this board."

DemWo members said they wanted to turn out for the meeting to show they trust the board, that trustees hold the wellbeing of the community's children at the center of every decision made.

"Cary Kelly and Gary Suppiger have worked to make our school district the very best that we can afford and they have done so for four straight years - without pay," the DemWo statement reads. "We have to guess that it is mostly a thankless job. [We] want to make sure that you both know that your community is grateful for your hard work."

The group told the board members that their efforts had made a difference — and will continue to do so well into the future.

"They have served our community with integrity, hard work, and professionalism during some very difficult times," the group's steering committee said in a statement to local media.

Extending their thanks to LPOSD's board members and administration, the group said district officials have served the community "with grace and competence."

"Our community depends on strong schools and our schools are stronger now than they were four years ago, and for that we thank them."