After many heated debates throughout the 2021-22 school year many people don’t see the hard work and difficult decisions school board members have to make. Juliane Ramic is the mother of two North Penn students, and a leader in our local community. While trying to balance her position on the school board, she also works at the federal level for refugee resettlement. The North Penn community has always been Ramic’s number one priority, and she puts in multiple hours of dedication and time to find the best decision focusing on North Penn’s future.

A huge motivator for Juliane is her two daughters, Sadira and Shayla. Her family is actively involved in the North Penn community such as North Penn Swimming and Water polo teams, and starting the Crossing Cultures club. 

“When I ran for my position on the school board, there were a lot of political changes taking place in the country and I wanted to find a way to be engaged in our community to look out for the wellbeing of my daughters and North Penn, ” Ramic stated.

Many people have different opinions on what attributes make school board members successful. Some people believe that prioritizing other factors over the wellbeing of students deems the school board successful, while Ramic disagrees. 

“Important attributes for school board members definitely rely on their commitment to public education and an appreciation for all the hard work that goes into being a school board member. When you are looking out for the safety and wellbeing of over 1,300 students, it takes a lot of commitment and patience. With my background in working with immigration, I found it important to make sure that representation, adamant support, and support services were in place,”  Ramic explained. 

Mask mandates, budgeting, sanitization, and the overall idea of caring for North Penn students are all responsibilities placed on the school board. 

“The responsibility of the school board is to provide oversight. Being on the school board is a critical position working with administration and staff to set the future vision for the district, and that is definitely one of the most amazing things to be a part of,” Ramic stated.

Each individual school board member has their own reasons for serving on the board. Ramic’s reasoning is to better her children’s future and further expand her knowledge of America’s education system. 

“My purpose for serving on the school board is to make sure that the school district’s visions, policies, and day to day work are keeping up with the needs of students. A big thing for me is making sure our equity policies are reflecting the needs of students and helping these policies adapt, and change as our students’ needs change,” Ramic expressed.

The North Penn school board has been very busy recently with their search on finding a new superintendent. Ramic views Dr. Dietrich as a very important person in the lives of North Penn, and doesn’t believe that anyone will truly live up to his accomplishments.

“One thing I have learned as a school board director is that serving as a superintendent is one of the most challenging jobs. As a superintendent, you carry the weight of every student, every family member, and the entire community. North Penn has been incredibly fortunate to have had Dr. Dietrich serve the community. He is an incredible leader, and I find it hard imagining someone else in that position, especially during the pandemic. I believe having someone with his stature was so incredible. There is nobody who can replace Dr. Dietrich and his impact on the community, so in our search for a new superintendent we are mainly looking for the next strong leader instead of a replacement, ” Ramic explained.

A very big debate in the North Penn community is the budgeting process, but many community members outside of the school board don’t understand what goes into the decision making process surrounding budgeting.

“I have learned so much, and the way that we go about the budgeting meetings and process is incredibly engaging. The way the district approaches budgeting is by keeping students at the center of the story and looking at which programs, and services need to be in place for the needs of the students,” Ramic said. 

With her own children in the North Penn community, Juliane takes student point of views very seriously. 

“Having children in the district helps inform me, either through them or through their peers, how our programs and services are being implemented. They help me really see how our programs are brought to life, and how they better the students of the North Penn community,” Ramic stated.

With the school year coming to an end for students, Ramic will continue to work and better the North Penn community for the following school years. She puts her blood, sweat, and tears into her hard work for the school board and is proud of how far the North Penn community has grown, and she is looking forward to seeing North Penn continue to grow.