August 23, 2001

Contact:
Miriam Kerns, community relations,
213-8025

Bob Drummond Honored with Community Service Award
Bob Drummond, serving his 30th year on the Pattonville School District Board of Education, was recently honored with the 2001 Community Service Award sponsored by Commerce Bank. In addition to the personal honor, the recipient receives a grant to contribute to an organization of his choice. Drummond chose to contribute the $7,500 to the Pattonville Education Foundation.
Drummond was honored at a luncheon sponsored by Commerce Bank. In attendance were board of education colleagues, former and current Pattonville staff members and personal friends as well as his family. In accepting the award Drummond said that he has always been a strong advocate of public education, because public schools change people’s lives. He said that nationwide 88 percent of the children attend public schools. He also said ,“I would pay to be a board member. I am proud to be, for today, the poster boy for school board members.”
During Drummond’s tenure on the Pattonville Board of Education, there have been many changes. Under his leadership Pattonville was the first district in the area to establish an alternative high school, to reconfigure from junior highs to middle schools and to open a choice elementary school. He has helped the district lower class sizes, offer full-day kindergarten to all students, reduce the drop-out rate, open the only full-service credit union in a high school in the state, and form a partnership to use methane gas from a nearby landfill to heat Pattonville High School. He has helped to lead the district through several successful tax and bond levy campaigns. This money has financed air-condtioning in all Pattonville schools, a community auditorium, and unique learning center and the opportunity to make the latest in technology equipment available to Pattonville students and staff.
In addition to holding every office on the Pattonville Board of Education, Drummond has served as president of the Missouri School Boards Association and continues to work with that body to provide more and better educational opportunities for children all over the state. He has also served in leadership positions in area-wide program such as Characterplus, the Council for Educational Advancement and Springboard for Learning. Recently he has helped effect a major improvement with the Special School District of St. Louis County. He has been Pattonville’s representative on the Special School District’s governing council since its inception in 1996, serving two terms as chairman.
Drummond serves his community in many other areas. As a long-time leader with the Boy Scouts of America, he has presided over numerous Eagle Scout ceremonies and was awarded that group’s high honor–the silver beaver award. He has always been an active leader in his church.
In 1994 the Pattonville School District, with the strong support of the Board of Education formed the Pattonville Education Foundation. The mission of this organization is to raise funds to provide grants to teachers for innovative educational projects that enhance student learning. Many of the grants awarded to teachers strongly support the district’s efforts to improve student literacy. Drummond has always been a strong supporter of the foundation and has been a generous contributor to its fund-raising efforts. He currently serves as the Pattonville Board of Education’s representative on the Pattonville Education Foundation’s Board of Directors.
Drummond is retired from a 48-year career in the printing and publishing industry. He is a native of St. Louis. He graduated from Beaumont High School and Washington University.