BETHALTO - Samantha Pritchett has thrived in Bethalto.
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Pritchett, 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. Her family moved to Bethalto in 2018 to join the school district, and she loves the community. She wants to run for school board to continue to build it up.
“I just want to help the community, help the school district, make sure that the kids have the right tools, make sure that the teachers have support, and make sure that we’re highlighting the positive things that are going on in the district versus the negative things that are going on,” Pritchett said. “I feel like I bring a professional and a common sense approach to how I do my job, how I parent, how I talk to people in the community. You just have to be willing to sit down and compromise with people, to collaborate with them, listen to ideas, be open to change.”
Pritchett started working at Midwest Members Credit Union after she graduated from Alton High School. She worked her way up to the CFO position.
Her family moved to Bethalto so her daughter could enroll at Civic Memorial High School, and they have had “nothing but positive experiences.” The community welcomed them, and Pritchett is thankful for the district and how it has embraced her family.
This is partly what motivated Pritchett to run for school board, because she was upset with the “negativity” when she believed so strongly in the district. She encourages people to go to board meetings and see for themselves what positive things are happening.
“There’s some positive things that just need to be maybe looked at a little bit differently or highlighted a little bit,” she said. “It’s so heartwarming to sit and look at all the kids that are doing such a great job. It’s disheartening to see some of the negativity that's around the district when there really are some really great things going on.”
Looking ahead, Pritchett is concerned about teacher retention, which she points out is a nationwide issue. She believes strong teachers encourage students to go into the teaching profession, and she wants to support Bethalto’s educators.
“I think the teachers are working really hard and there’s a lot on their plates, so I feel like being able to keep the teachers that are really invested in your kids and really invested in their future is key, and then also being able to make sure that the environment is one where it is encouraging for younger kids to want to take up that profession,” she explained. “We need teachers. It has to be a partnership with the parents, the community, the teachers and the administrators.”
As the consolidated election on April 1, 2025, approaches, Pritchett hopes people will consider voting for her. She feels strongly about the Bethalto community, and she wants to see the schools succeed. She wants to be a part of that success.
“Education has always been very important to me and my family,” she added. “I feel like the people in the community should be very thankful that they have so many people that are so interested in the welfare of the kids in the district and the community. I think everybody has their heart in it. I feel like they’ve got a lot of great talent and great opportunity in the people that are running.”
This is the ninth in a series of nine articles about the Bethalto Community Unit School District #8 Board of Education candidates.
