[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 65 (Monday, April 15, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E467]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING ERNIE BELL'S LIFELONG COMMITMENT TO SIERRA SANDS UNIFIED 
                            SCHOOL DISTRICT

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                          HON. KEVIN McCARTHY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 15, 2019

  Mr. McCARTHY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Mr. 
Ernest ``Ernie'' M. Bell Jr., who retires this year after an extensive 
career in education from his position as the Superintendent of the 
Sierra Sands Unified School District (SSUSD), which serves the Indian 
Wells Valley in my congressional district in California.
  Born and raised in Ridgecrest, California, Ernie graduated from 
Sherman E. Burroughs High School and attended Bakersfield College 
before receiving a degree in Biology from the University of California, 
Davis, and a Masters of Arts in Educational Leadership and 
Administration at California State University, Bakersfield. He then 
returned home to Ridgecrest, beginning a career in education at Murray 
Middle School, where he taught and coached for ten years, then served 
as the school's Vice Principal for four years, and finally as Murray 
Middle's Principal for ten years. Throughout his career as an educator, 
Ernie achieved extensive knowledge of the interworking and importance 
of education through his participation on SSUSD leadership committees 
and peer review panels. And it was by tackling issues critical to the 
district, such as student safety, collective bargaining, budgetary 
issues, and accreditation, that Ernie seamlessly transitioned from the 
classroom to SSUSD administration. In 2014, Ernie accepted the position 
of Superintendent of Sierra Sands Unified School District, a position 
that capped a lifelong career dedicated to education in the Indian 
Wells Valley. As Superintendent, Ernie led and successfully pushed to 
renovate and modernize Murray Middle School and Burroughs High School, 
and spearheaded the effort to secure funding for the construction of 
Richmond Elementary School. Ernie's legacy will be defined not only by 
his esteemed career as an educator to countless students, but by the 
fruits of his tireless advocacy for quality education in the Indian 
Wells Valley on future generations of students.
  I know Ernie Bell as a man of his word and as a public servant who 
tirelessly advocated for the needs of our community's students and 
teachers better than almost anyone. I know that despite his retirement, 
he will remain just as active in the Ridgecrest community as ever. On 
behalf of a grateful community, I wish Ernie, his wife, Deanne, and 
their children, Jacob, Zachary, and Rebecca, all the best as they begin 
this new chapter of his life.

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