Douglass' Wealth of Experience Helps District, Self

Ralph Douglass and his family members have seen a lot of change in the .

That's what happens when you serve on the school board in parts of each of the last five decades while your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren attend the public school system.

At 74, most folks are sitting back and relaxing. Not Douglass.

"I have the dedication, the desire and interest in serving the district," said the 47-year township resident who also continues to do technical consulting as president of Peca Inc., an electronics design and manufacturing firm in Bensalem.

So, what was the district like in the 1970s, compared to today?

"We were building schools left and right. Shafer was being designed and Valley was being finished up along with the administrative office," he said. "We also had our first strike in 1974."

" was rebuilt around 1995. "Now we're looking at renovating the instead of building a new one."

Douglass says today's priority is dealing with such big projects as the renovation of the high school and the rehabilitation of sports playing fields amid serious financial restraints

"Of course we're also dealing with the standards of education," he said. "(The cuts) are frustrating but it's the reality."

And that reality, Douglass interestingly added, has a plus side.

"If you don't have those pressures, there's a tendency not to scrutinize where you're spending," he said. "It makes you wake up."

The school district got another wake-up call of sorts this year when it received several applications for charter schools. In the end, the school board only approved School Lane Charter's application to open a high school.

Douglass is not a big fan of charter schools, especially in Bensalem.

"It's unfortunate charters use the term 'choice.' In a depressed school district, either financially or educationally, maybe parents do need a choice. But in Bensalem I don't think that is the situation. We meet quality educational standards," he said

The New Jersey-born Air Force veteran served on the school board from 1973 to 1979; in 1982 and 1994, filling unexpired terms; and then was elected again in 2009. When he wasn't a board member, he remained civicly involved by serving on district committees and township government panels.

"My mother was the first woman elected to the Goucester City, New Jersey school board, so you may say it runs in the family," he said of his service.

His most recent election followed closely the death of his wife of more than four decades. Among other things, Jean Douglass served as the chairwoman of the Bensalem Republican Party and on the Planning Commission and Water and Sewer Authority.

"It was an honor to be approached to consider running and very thoughtful on the part of those who contacted me knowing how close Jean and I were," he said. "Our kids felt it would be good for me and others that I had reached out to for their advice thought it would be a good idea."

"It has absorbed many hours that would have otherwise been difficult," he added. "It has helped me cope with Jean's passing, although it surely brings back memories of our life together. You have to realize that Jean and I were somewhat unique in that we met at work in 1962; married in 1965, had our family, were in business together and had our political life together. We were virtually together 24-365-46. One doesn't fill that void easily."

Asked about what he is most proud of as a longtime school board member, Douglass points to the "general professionalism of the district" and how it has kept up with so many new mandates, many of which are unfunded.

"Special education for one. There are so many more special education requirements and mandates," he said. "To cope with all those, that absorbs a lot of money and time and we've been able to fulfill those requirements and still continue providing a quality education."

Douglass acknowledges that he's also had some disappointments.

"During the 70s we had to deal with a board member and a solicitor put in jail for fraud. That was a real disappointment. They betrayed the public's trust," he said.

He said he also wishes there hadn't been so much turnover in the superintendent's position since the 1980s.

"There's been a continuous state of flux. They never have enough time to settle in and have something become effective," said Douglass, who holds an associate's degree in electronic technology bachelor's degree in business administration.

Just For The Kids, a non-profit education foundation that raises funds for the district, certainly has been effective, awarding close to $400,000 since 1996. And Douglass has been its president for about a dozen years.

Asked what his DISTRICT service has meant to him, Douglass said, "It has given me a sense of accomplishment and contribution in a very important element: the investment in the education of Bensalem's youth."

Information provided by school district.