It’s no surprise that Cindy Jaro seeks to be involved in the Humboldt school system.
Since her children first started school, she’s been there. She joined the HELP committee when her children were in grade school, and served two years as the group’s vice president.
Not long after joining the committee, Jaro realized a fundraising event would reward only a few kids who sold the most pizza or cookie dough. She led the change to a raffle with each classroom offering their own basket, and the effort made three times as much money — enough that all students were able to attend the party.
“I felt very rewarded doing that,” she said. “Sometimes, you can get involved and make changes for the right reasons.”
That’s why she’s running for a seat on the USD 258 Board of Education. Jaro is one of 10 candidates vying for four seats.
JARO is a life-long resident of Humboldt and graduated from Humboldt High School in 1994. She and husband, Craig, have three children: Cooper, 21; Gavin, 18 and Teghen, 15.
She operates her own business as a hairstylist, something she’s done for 26 years.
The family lives on a farm east of Humboldt, where Jaro helps her husband manage the finances. Again, Jaro thought it was important to serve and joined the Allen County Farm Bureau Association, serving previously as secretary/treasurer and currently as vice president.
The children have been very involved in 4-H, FFA and a variety of sports and extracurricular activities at HHS.
Once her children became involved in 4-H, Jaro and her husband joined the Allen County Fair board, serving one year as secretary and one year as vice president. The entire family worked together to help with renovations to fair buildings.
“I encourage my kids to be involved and not to be idle. I think it’s important and I like staying busy,” she said.
Jaro believes her experience running a business makes her a good fit for the school board but, more importantly, she cites her communication skills as the No. 1 reason why voters should select her out of the large field of candidates.
“By far, our district’s strength is the overwhelming support from our community. The pride and support the community shows the school system is remarkable. I hope it continues for generations to come.”
WHEN the school board debated a four-day school week last spring, Jaro became the spokesperson for a group of parents opposed to the proposal. Supporters argued the shorter week would help recruit and retain teachers.
It ultimately failed by a vote of 5-2.
