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Garces is new face on school board
Doug Flanagan/Post-Register
JoAnn Garces, left, participated in her first school board meeting as a district director Tuesday.
When JoAnn Garces graduated from Quincy High School, she was the only Hispanic female in her class. Now, Garces will represent the culture in an academic setting in another way.
Last week, Garces was named as the newest member of the Quincy School District board of directors.
“I’m excited and honored to take on this role,” Garces said. “I feel as if I can bring input from a bilingual perspective. I think the Hispanic point of view has been a little under-represented. I can give more representation and show Hispanic parents that they can be involved even if they don’t speak English.”
Garces said she’s not sure right now of how she’s going to implement her ideas, but she’s sure that she’ll gain a clearer view after she’s learned the school board’s procedures.
“I don’t know,” she said. “It’s just a process of trying to get the parents involved. I just want to let the parents know that somebody is here for them when they’re not getting to where they want to be if they have questions. Hopefully I can give them some answers. Sometimes they may be afraid to speak up because of the language barrier.
“If they can use me as the initial point of contact, that’s fine, but they’ll still have to follow the proper procedures. It takes time to translate, and sometimes they’re not getting the help they need. The district’s translators are doing a great job, but sometimes it takes a little push.”
Garces and her husband, Eli Martinez, have two children; daughter Victoria is an eighth-grader, and son Jason is a sophomore. Garces’ first involvement in the schools came as a result of her children’s activities.
“When the kids were younger, I volunteered in the schools,” she said. “Now that the kids are older they don’t need me to volunteer, so I figured I’d volunteer this way and gain an inside perspective on what goes on in the schools.”
The school board picked Garces over Janet Lybbert for the position, which had been open for several months after Alan Balciar resigned.
Going into last week’s interview, Garces wasn’t totally confident that she’d get tabbed.
“I knew either one of us would do a good job,” she said.
“I wasn’t expecting it to be a clean sweep or anything. I gave my answers to their questions and went from there. I think they’re going to be enjoyable to work with. Everybody’s been kind and has congratulated me and welcomed me to the board. I’ve known some of them for many years.”
Superintendent Burton Dickerson said Garces will be a welcome addition to the board.
“Joann has lived in Quincy all her life and she has children of her own that attend school here,” he said. “During her time here she’s had a growing interest in involvement with the schools. She saw this as an opportunity to be a representative for other parents in the community and be involved in a more visible way.”
Garces was born in Texas and moved to Quincy with her family in 1975. She’s been here ever since.
She has worked at the Quincy Valley Medical Center for the past 17 years as an insurance biller.
“I like the interaction with the people,” she said. “I also enjoy learning about the different billing regulations for the different insurances.”
Garces said she doesn’t do much in her spare time except for spending time with family.
“I’m not really a social type,” she said. “Most of what I do revolves around work or family.”
And now, the school district.
