Pascoe, Lang & Albright pledge that money to Angel Fund
Submitted
Editor’s note: Three of the seven members of the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Board of Trustees – Tiffany Pascoe, Dawn Lang, and Dr. Juanita Albright – have announced their intention not to take money for board meetings and committee meetings. Instead, they will donate those funds to the “Angel Fund” to help pay for lunches for students whose families cannot otherwise afford to pay.
Statement from Tiffany Pascoe
Board President
“In this time of financial distress for our district, I feel a strong moral obligation to stand in solidarity with our staff, students, and community. As a member of the Board of Trustees, I receive a per diem of $112 per board meeting and $62 per committee meeting. Last year, those per diems totaled around $5,000.
“While this compensation is intended to support the work we do, I believe this is a moment that calls for shared sacrifice and tangible support for those most impacted. Therefore, I will be donating my board and committee per diems this year to the Angel Fund to support students in need of school lunches.
“To put this into perspective, one $112 board meeting per diem equals 37 high school meals or 40 elementary meals. A $62 committee meeting per diem equals 20 high school meals or 22 elementary meals. Last year, I personally donated $1,000 dollars, which equated to around 330 high school meals or 357 elementary meals for students.
“If per diem earnings again total around $5,000 this year, that would provide roughly 1,652 high school meals or 1,786 elementary meals for students in our district.
“At a time when our district and many families are facing hardship, I believe we must do what we can, where we can. Supporting student nutrition is a direct investment in their ability to learn, grow, and succeed. I am committed as a Board Member to sacrifice for the greater good of our district.”
Statement from Dawn Lang
Board Vice President
“If I would have anything specific to say – As a member of the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Board, I never intended to make money in this elected role. Starting this January, I’ll be donating my board meeting and committee meeting compensation to our district Angel Fund to help cover unpaid school meals for students.
“This isn’t about recognition; it’s about making sure students have what they need to learn. I’m grateful to everyone who supports students and families in our district, and I invite others who are able to join me in supporting the Angel Fund in whatever way they can.”
Statement from Dr. Juanita Albright
Board Member
“At our last meeting, a motion was made that members of this board decline compensation for our meetings for 2026. That motion did not pass. While I respect the right of each board member to make their own decision, I also believe leadership sometimes requires us to act individually when we cannot act collectively.
“For that reason, I am choosing to give up my compensation for board and committee meetings and will donate those funds to cover unpaid student lunch balances in our district.
“No student should feel embarrassment or anxiety because of an unpaid meal. School should be a place to focus on learning and growth and not financial stress.
“My decision is not about criticism or division. It is about personal responsibility and modeling the kind of servant leadership I believe in. If I have the ability to help in a tangible way, I want to do my part
“I am making this decision public so that our community is made aware of this need. There is currently a <$375,000 lunch balance that needs to be covered. If anyone would be interested in contributing to this cause please reach out to our central office. You can contribute generally to the fund or to a specific school or even grade level.”