BETHALTO - Desiree Potter is passionate about Bethalto.
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Potter, one of nine candidates running for a seat on the Bethalto Community Unit School District #8 Board of Education, shared more about who she is and what she stands for. She noted that her family moved to Bethalto for the school district, and she has been pleased to see how the district has treated her children.
“My number one thing is, I’m a mom,” Potter said. “We feel so strongly about Bethalto. This is our roots. I’m not originally from here, but I love Bethalto, and we put roots here. I’m hoping one day my kids will have grandkids and we’ll be here for generations.”
Potter has two sons at Civic Memorial High School. She also helped raise her nephew, and she noted that she saw a major transformation in him when he transferred to Bethalto schools. She is pleased with how the district has nurtured and educated her children, and she wants to be a part of that.
Over the years, she has volunteered in her kids’ classrooms and helped out “behind the scenes” at book fairs, concession stands, the Christmas shop and other opportunities where teachers and parents needed assistance. She also owns a plumbing business with her husband, and she noted that part of why they started the business was to give her more flexibility to spend time at their kids’ schools.
“I love Bethalto,” she said. “It has been amazing. I’m always floored, and kudos and thank you to the board that’s done the things that they’ve done.”
Potter decided to run for the school board because she is “upset with the way things have been going.” She said there seems to be “a lot of turmoil,” and she’s interested in finding out more about the district and how she can help.
To begin, she wants to see more trust between the school district and the community. She believes everyone is on the same team when it comes to doing what is best for the district, the community, and the children. She wants to help facilitate this.
“I want to see things change,” she explained. “I’m not a person that gets on Facebook and just bashes everybody. I can’t do that. I want to know what’s wrong. I want to look at it from all sides. I want to find a way for everybody to get together and communicate. How do we move forward? How do we fix it? How do we resolve those issues?”
Potter emphasized her gratitude for Bethalto schools and the administrators and educators who have made the district such a good place for her family. She loves the community, and she hopes to do more to help it grow as a school board member. She hopes the community will consider voting for her in the consolidated election on April 1, 2025.
“It all really does stem from wanting the best for the community and the school district,” she added. “We have great teachers and we have great administrators, and I want to say that I believe it’s from the very bottom all the way to the top. I think we have people that want what’s best for Bethalto. I think it’s just kind of clearing the air and trying to find a way to make it work and get everybody back on focus of, how do we make this work?”
This is the first of a series of nine articles about the Bethalto Community Unit School District #8 Board of Education candidates.
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