Two decades of trust, communication in Colton

Gary Riedner is retiring after a two-decade stint as trustee on the Colton School Board.

Riedner, who was first elected to the board in 2002, says his time in the Colton School District has been immensely rewarding.

“You’re not going to get rich being a public servant, but you can certainly have some influence in making people’s lives better,” he said. “I really encourage people to volunteer and get involved.”

The longtime trustee built a career in public service including his current role as Moscow city supervisor. Riedner retires from the city supervisor position in January.

At his final board meeting as a trustee Tuesday, Riedner was awarded with a plaque recognizing his dedication to improving education in his hometown. Colton School District Superintendent Paul Clark says Riedner contributed to a sense of community and belonging among students, parents and staff.

“Having a long-serving board member has really helped keep our district on the right path and not lose focus of what’s best for our community,” Clark said. “Gary knows the long game on that.”

Riedner graduated from Colton High School in 1976 before going on to achieve an economics degree from the University of Idaho and another degree from its College of Law.

His wife, four children and father also graduated from Colton High School.

During Riedner’s 20-year tenure on the board, he served more than 15 years as board chair. Between the board and his full-time job as a Moscow city employee, Riedner says he’s been to a lot of meetings and learned to model Colton’s after the efficient ones.

“People say that school board work isn’t very rewarding and that you get in line for a lot of criticism,” he said. “You get in with taxes and people’s children — two things people are very passionate about.”

But his experience has been the opposite. According to Riedner, the district’s teachers and employees have been fantastic throughout the years.

“It’s been a labor of love to some extent,” he said. “I’m really going to miss it. It’s nice being involved and being able to have a hand in helping our young people get a good education.”

Before the district passed a $5.6 million bond to modernize the Colton School in 2013, Riedner worked with the former superintendent to bring the community on board. Voters shot down two previous versions of the bond that both had a higher taxpayer cost.

The bond passed on its third try with nearly 75 percent approval. The school hadn’t been renovated since 1963, according to Riedner.

“He’s one of the board members where if people had questions he would talk to them,” Clark said. “Trust is something that’s earned over decades and he helped contribute to the trust people have for our school district.”

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the school board was largely spared from the backlash many others across the country faced in response to mask mandates and other safety measures. The unpaid positions have recently come under more strain than they have in decades, according to Clark.

He said the trust built between community members and the district in Colton is a reflection of the leadership brought by Riedner and other board members.

“We have not had unpleasant board meetings with angry people,” he said. “What we have had is neighbors who talk to each other. Gary is a person who contributed to that tone and culture.”

When Clark started as the new superintendent four years ago, he had little idea whether he was walking into a healthy or dysfunctional school system.

He says he got the luck of the draw.

“As school districts, we have a tremendous amount of trust placed in us from our neighbors and community,” he said. “(Riedner) brings that reminder to the work he’s done.”

When his seat expires next month, he’ll miss his four colleagues on the board the most.

Riedner gave thanks to his wife, Teri, whose support allowed him to participate on the board for so long. Without her help, he says he couldn’t have done it.

“Nobody does this job in a vacuum,” he said. “If it isn’t for your significant other or spouse taking care of family business, you don’t have time to do something like this.”

During his time on the board, Riedner has advocated for increasing arts instruction, as well as updating curriculum and materials like books in classrooms. He’s also played a role in the transparency of the district.

“Because of Gary, this school district has been improving,” Clark said. “He’s had his finger in that pot for decades.”

Palermo can be reached at apalermo@dnews.com or on Twitter @apalermotweets.

“We have not had unpleasant board meetings with angry people. What we have had is neighbors who talk to each other. Gary is a person who contributed to that tone and culture.”

Paul Clark, Colton School District superintendent, describing 20-year school board trustee Gary Riedner