[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 5046-5047]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO FRANK SEILER

 Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. President, today I offer my 
heartfelt congratulations to a South Dakotan who has dedicated his life 
to educating students in my State.
  At the close of this school year, Frank Seiler will retire as 
superintendent of the Timber Lake School District, concluding a nearly 
50-year career as an educator in South Dakota. Frank began teaching in 
North Dakota in 1964. In 1967, he moved to Kadoka, SD, to serve as the 
high school principal and coach before moving to McIntosh, where he 
served as superintendent for 15 years. In 1991, Frank took over as 
superintendent of the Timber Lake School District, where he has worked 
for 20 years.
  Frank has been involved with the National Association of Federally 
Impacted Schools, NAFIS, since 1975. As one of the founders of the 
Senate Impact Aid Caucus, I am deeply appreciative of Frank's 
leadership in the Impact Aid community and for his responsible 
administering of the Impact Aid Program in the school districts where 
he has worked. In May 2010, I was pleased to announce that the Timber 
Lake School District would receive a $5 million grant from the American 
Recovery and Reinvestment Act, known to many as the economic stimulus 
package, so that the community

[[Page 5047]]

could replace its existing high school facility. Frank has shown 
tremendous leadership in helping make the dream of a new school become 
a reality.
  Over the years, Frank has served as a tremendous advocate for his 
school district and for the importance of a strong education system. My 
staff and I have greatly valued Frank's insight and expertise over the 
years. It has been my pleasure working with him to ensure that the many 
children in South Dakota living in rural and federally impacted schools 
receive a quality education.
  On the occasion of his retirement from the Timber Lake School 
District, I congratulate and thank Frank for his service as an educator 
and mentor to thousands of students in South Dakota. He has truly been 
an inspiration to many of his friends and colleagues. As Impact Aid 
leaders from across our country gather this week for the annual NAFIS 
conference, I want to take the time to recognize Frank for responsible 
management of the Impact Aid Program. On behalf of all South Dakotans, 
I thank Frank for his years of tireless dedication to students in our 
State and for the lasting legacy he leaves. I also thank his wife Donna 
for her continued support. I wish them both a happy and healthy 
retirement.

                          ____________________