By Ally Lanasa, Staff Writer

(Dec. 10, 2020) After more than 26 years of service, Sara Thompson is retiring from the District 3 seat on the Worcester County Board of Education.

Sara Thompson

Thompson, who is a life-long resident of Worcester County and an alumna of Stephen Decatur High School, served as a substitute teacher at the high school on Seahawk Road in Berlin for 30 years.

“I’ve always loved education,” she said.

Of all of the board of education’s accomplishments over the last two decades, Thompson is most proud of the construction of new schools in the county, the progress of technology in education and the public school system being named No. 1 in the state in multiple categories.

“We have small class sizes,” she added. “I could just go on and on because I just love everything about our school board [and] our Worcester County education.”

Throughout her terms, Thompson advocated for small class sizes, competitive salaries for teachers and quality education for all students in the county.

This year, Thompson served as the vice president of the school board for the second time. She is the board’s longest-serving member and has been recognized as the longest-serving board of education member in Maryland.

The 82-year-old Berlin resident is confident that her successor, Dr. Jon Andes, will serve for the betterment of education in his district and the entire county, saying he will be “an asset for the board.”

“We hired him as superintendent [of Worcester County Public Schools] when I was on the board,” Thompson said. “He was a wonderful superintendent and now he’ll be a wonderful board member.”

Despite her retirement, Thompson plans to be as involved in the local school system as possible.

“I’m going to miss it so bad,” she said.

Thompson wishes her fellow board members and educators all the best as they work through the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s very difficult now for the teachers, and I just want everybody to just keep plowing along and doing the best they can,” she said. “We have a wonderful bunch of teachers and they’re doing the best they can and we have a wonderful superintendent. I’m just proud of all of them.”

Thompson and Barry Brittingham Sr., who represents District 2, will be recognized during their last meeting on Dec. 15.