School liaisons serve students, parents, teachers

Christine June, Story and photo
415th Base Support Battalion


***image1***The KMC school liaison officers are here to help students, parents and
teachers at the two high schools, four middle, five elementary, and one
intermediate.

“I am here to assist and prepare families for schools as they
transition in and out of the community,” said Lynn Rice, the 415th Base
Support Battalion school liaison officer. “I can inform families of
services available to ensure school transitions are smoother and also
what programs are available at child and youth services.”

“If I do my job well, the rest of the community can concentrate on
their mission,” said Mr. John Bohannon, who has been an SLO here for 16
months and worked with all the schools before the wing reorganization.
“We (school liaison officers) do everything from giving directions on
how to find the schools to working out serious problems between
parents, administrators and teachers. Anything you can name we do or
get done.”

Namely things like attending school and installation meetings,
answering questions, providing information, advising commanders,
arranging volunteers, organizing events and creating or streamlining
programs are just a few of what the KMC school liaisons get done to
assist.

“Parents and students are living, working and attending school in a
foreign country, far removed from their extended family and long-time
friends,” said Mr. Lepper, who has worked in the KMC as a school
liaison officer for three years. “That’s why what we do is important so
that families experience an environment that closely mirrors that at
home and that they receive the same opportunities and services.”

Although each school liaison officer has their area of responsibility, they often work together.
“Some events and programs involve all of us, and many problems need all
the KMC leadership on the same page. Even when this is not true we gain
by consulting one another because we don’t have time to re-create the
wheel every time the phone rings,” said Mr. Bohannon. “The point is to
give ‘our kids’ everything they deserve and provide peace-of-mind to
the KMC workforce.”

Mrs. Rice works with Army families and all the KMC schools. John 
Bohannon is the 435th Services Squadron school liaison officer and
works with Air Force families with students in Ramstein and Landstuhl
schools. Edward Lepper is the 431st Air Base Group school liaison
officer and works with Air Force families with students in
Kaiserslautern, Vogelweh and Sembach.
For more information, call Mr. Bohannon at 480-9374 or 06371-47-9374,
Mr. Lepper at 489-6771 or 0631-536-6771, or Mrs. Rice at 489-6490 or
0631-536-6490.