Ex-Elementary Student Takes Helm as Dolton 149 Board President

(Calumet City, IL) – In the 1990s, Rayya Ghani was enrolled from 1st through 5th grade at Berger Vandenberg Elementary School located in south suburban Calumet City, hoping to earn good grades in math. Today, Ghani oversees Berger Vandenberg and six other elementary schools that compromise Dolton School District 149 as the new board of education president, hoping to lead the district through a post-pandemic period.

Ghani, who first won a seat on the Dolton 149 board in 2006, was elected board president by her colleagues at the board’s May 27 meeting, replacing veteran board president Darlene Gray Everett, who remains on the board. Ghani paid tribute to her long-time board colleague.

“Dolton School District 149 owes a deep debt of gratitude to Darlene Gray Everett and her leadership as board president,” said Ghani. “Financially, administratively, and, most important, academically, the district has progressed enormously under Darlene’s tenure by virtue of her unwavering commitment to our students, and I am grateful that she remains on the board.”

Ghani, who is a recruiter for South Suburban College, based in suburban South Holland, says that going from a Dolton 149 student to the Dolton 149 board of education president was unimagined at the time, but her student experience laid the foundation for her trajectory to the district’s top elected job.

“When I was student at Berger Vandenberg, and later 6th through 8th grade at the Dirksen Middle School, my priorities were scoring good grades in math, science, and English,” said Ghani, a resident of suburban Dolton. “Becoming an elected school board member and someday the board of education president was nowhere on my radar, but my student experience prepared me for this role because the education that I received at Dolton 149 from very committed teachers bonded me emotionally with this district and formed my commitment to it.”

At Dolton 149’s 8th grade graduation ceremonies this year, Ghani acknowledged to the class of 2021 that the COVID-19 pandemic upended their education for more than 12-months and marveled at their commitment and perseverance that enabled them to successfully graduate.

“I could not have imagined being a student and enduring the disruption that you endured during the COVID pandemic,” Ghani told students and parents. “And yet, you overcame the challenges and successfully completed your education to graduate.”

While recognizing the trial experienced by the district’s approximately 2,500 students during the past year imposed by the pandemic, Ghani is already looking toward leading the district out of the pandemic, including on how to spend the $5.5 million granted to the district in federal government pandemic relief money.

“The academic impact of the pandemic, particularly on students of color from low-income families, has been enormous, and we need to mitigate that impact at school,” said Ghani. “So Dolton 149 plans to comprehensively address that academic fall out on our students, which includes, initially, providing Chromebook computers to every student on a permanent basis and moving all text books online.”

Ghani also said that that the district will use a portion of the federal money to upgrade the schools’ air quality systems and restrooms throughout the district.

“The health and safety of our students and staff are a priority for the board of education,” said Ghani. “And we will invest money into our buildings – buildings that I studied in as a student and remember fondly – that improves the quality of the learning and teaching experience in the years ahead.”

davidormsby@davidormsby.com