Running unopposed for the office, Wyman Botts will represent district 3 on the Pike County Board of Education for the third straight term.

“One reason I wanted to serve on the school board is because the schools were good to me,” said Botts, whose own education moved him toward a rewarding career in engineering.

Now Botts is retired, and since he began working with the Pike County school system 12-years-ago, he has been trying to find ways to help engineer an effective learning environment for local students.

“We’ve had a really good board, we’re really unified,” Botts said.

“We’ve had some topsy-turvy times with funding…but (Superintendent) Dr. Bazzell has had really good foresight in planning the budget.”

And Botts said he is happy with the current direction of Pike County schools.

He gave plenty of credit to the principals at both schools in Banks and the faculty under them.

“I’ve been real proud of the Banks schools,” he said.

“They’ve got a real good cadre of teachers there.”

Botts also said he has been pleased with the construction of new buildings and upgrades to existing facilities, but he said there is still room for improvement.

“We still have some needs,” he said, specifically calling for renovation of offices on the front side of Banks Middle School.

But Botts said the top priority remains educating the youth.

“Of course academics is the main thing,” he said.

“We’re going to continue to do a good job with the test scores.

“Donnella Carter has been doing a good job at the central office with that. One of the key things I’d like to see improve is the graduation rate.”

Botts played an integral role in the conception, design and construction of the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Fla. and he has been married to his wife Betty for more than 50 years.

He attends Bush Memorial Baptist Church where he serves as the Chairman of Deacons, teaches Sunday School, and sings in the choir.