[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 99 (Wednesday, June 7, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E534]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING MR. STUART PACKARD

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DAVID G. VALADAO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 7, 2023

  Mr. VALADAO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Stuart 
Packard for his 35 years of service as an educator in California and to 
congratulate him on his retirement as the Superintendent of 
Buttonwillow Union School District.
  Mr. Packard's long-standing career in education began at the 
University of La Verne, where he studied Journalism and Public 
Relations and later received his teaching credential. After graduating, 
he spent his first year as a teacher in the Ontario-Montclair School 
District. It was over the next two decades that Mr. Packard would 
become an integral part of the Bakersfield school community, first as a 
teacher in the Panama-Buena Vista School District and then as a 
principal in the Standard School District. In July of 2011, Mr. Packard 
became the Superintendent of Buttonwillow Union School District, where 
he spent the next 12 years. Under his leadership, the district became 
one of the fastest improving school districts in the state.
  The addition of advanced-learning programs, expansion of 
extracurricular and off-campus opportunities, and construction of a new 
school building have contributed to the district's success. The 
district also enacted AVID Elementary for students in kindergarten 
through eighth grade and fully implemented a Transitional Kindergarten 
(TK) program. The district has been featured in local, state, and 
national publications for these improvements. During his tenure, 
student outcomes have also been strong. Discipline referrals and 
suspensions have declined by over 90 percent and during the COVID-19 
pandemic, the district successfully returned to in-person learning 
during its earliest stages. The district has faced many challenges 
throughout Mr. Packard's career and his dedication to his role is 
paramount to the district's success. Mr. Packard's commitment to the 
success of students in Bakersfield will have a lasting impact on the 
Central Valley community.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the United States House of 
Representatives to join me in recognizing Mr. Packard's lifetime of 
service and commitment as an educator in the Central Valley. I wish him 
a happy and well-deserved retirement.

                          ____________________