BETHALTO - There are two new members of the Bethalto Community Unit School District #8 Board of Education, and new member Natalie McCoy said she’s ready to engage with the Board and make a difference.
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McCoy has four children in the Bethalto school district, including two high schoolers and two younger kids who will be starting kindergarten soon. Originally from Centralia, she said she is excited to be an “unbiased member of the community” and contribute to the Board.
“We are very happy in the district,” McCoy said of her family. “I think it’s a great district, and I just want to do what I can to try to help keep it that way and make sure that it stays a good place to raise a family.”
McCoy has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SIUE in math education. She started her career as a teacher at the high school and college level before transferring to the University of Iowa to get her PhD in biostatistics. She currently works as a manager and data scientist at Nestle Purina.
“Because I was in education before I went into industry, I am passionate about education,” she said. “I think it’ll be interesting.”
McCoy’s addition to the Board comes after the resignations of Board members Jeff Whaley and Kory Stassi in June. The Board reviewed 21 applications for the Board seats before choosing McCoy and Dana Aronin to fill the vacancies. McCoy and Aronin were sworn in during the Board’s regular meeting on July 18, 2024.
Following McCoy’s first night serving in an official Board capacity, she noted it was “really interesting” to interact with the Board and get a sense of how the Board operates. She looks forward to learning more and jumping into this new position.
“It was really interesting to hear how the Board interacts with each other and the dynamics and conversation about all of the things,” she added. “There’s a lot to learn, obviously, about the school, how it’s run and all of the past experiences. So I’ve got a lot to learn. But I think as a first go-around, it was good. I was able to ask questions and interact in the session. I’m hoping to be able to provide some input and make a positive difference in the district.”
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