When Brian Fitch talks about serving on a school board, he keeps it simple. 

“There’s three rules to being on a school board,” he says. “The first rule is, do what’s best for the kids. The second rule is, do what’s best for the kids, and the third rule is, do what’s best for the kids.” 

That philosophy has guided him for more than a decade on the Argonia Public Schools Board of Education and now into his role as Region 6 Vice-President on the KASB Board of Directors. 

Argonia isn’t just where Brian serves — it’s home. “This is the town I graduated from,” he says. After spending time in Wichita, he and his wife made a decision when they started their family to return.  “Our county had kind of raised me, so I thought it was a good place to raise my kids. So this is home.” 

In a 1A district with roughly 155–160 students, that sense of home shows up in everyday moments. Brian values the closeness that comes with a small community. “I like that I know the majority of families. When I go to a sporting event or a music program, I know most of the kids. They know me, I know them. I like that personal contact a smaller district brings.” 

Even though his youngest child is now 26 — and he recently welcomed his first grandchild — he still makes it a point to be present. “I do my best to go to all the games, the award ceremonies, the plays and music programs. I haven’t had kids in there for six or eight years, but that’s still important to me.” He also runs the local recreational soccer program and helps oversee a five-town league with about 400 students each spring. For Brian, service goes well beyond board meetings. 

Over the past 12 years, he has served as a board member, vice president and president. With a background as an engineer, he also contributes to the district’s technology committee, helping guide infrastructure decisions. He’s proud of the way Argonia has cared for its facilities. “Most people don’t realize our buildings are coming up on 70 years old,” he says. “We’ve worked very hard to maintain a top-level building and technical infrastructure.” 

Still, when he talks about what truly makes the district strong, he points to people. “I would put our teaching staff up against any school in a heartbeat,” he says. “I want a teacher that is in love with the passion for the kids. If that passion is there, the kids will feel it. They will learn, and they will be better people because of it.” 

That focus on people extends to the boardroom. Brian describes the Argonia board as cohesive and candid. “The really hard discussions are in executive sessions,” he says. “We are very open with each other about what we think is right.” Yet disagreement doesn’t linger. “As soon as the meeting is adjourned, we’re talking about the football game or the weather. We’re still very social with each other.” 

For him, that balance is essential: be honest, say what you believe and work through it together. “Eventually, everybody gets to that point of, ‘Okay, this is the right thing to do, whether we got our way or not.’ And then we’re still friends.” He credits longtime board members who mentored him early on and modeled that approach, treating every decision as critical to the district’s long-term success. 

His involvement with KASB began just as simply. In his second year on the board, someone asked if anyone wanted to attend the annual convention. “I didn’t even know what KASB was,” he admits. “They described it, and I said, ‘I’ll give it a shot.’ I don’t think I’ve missed one since.” Over time, he felt called to do more. “It came to the point where I thought, it’s time to not just attend, but be part of the process.” 

As Region 6 Vice-President, he wants to increase awareness of what KASB offers. “Most of the school boards I represent are probably just like mine — they don’t know everything KASB offers,” he says. “A lot of the services are used by administration, and board members never see it.” He plans to attend new board member trainings, connect across the region and make himself accessible. “Come find me. Track me down. If I don’t know the answer, I know people who do.” 

When it comes to advocacy, he’s direct: funding affects everything, from teacher pay to student programs and community engagement matters. His belief in public education was shaped early by his parents, both educators, and that influence still drives him. “Some of these decisions are very important,” he says. “And we are going to drive to what’s the best decision for the school district and for the kids that are in it.” 

For Brian Fitch, it always comes back to that one simple thing: do what’s best for the kids.