Terri Novaria

Running for re-election to Portage School Board

Raised in a family of civic-minded volunteers, Terri has spent most of her adult life carrying on their legacy.   For more than thirty years, that has meant volunteering for Portage Public Schools.  She has been a Portage School Board trustee since 2014.

After a ten-year career in banking, Terri began volunteering when her oldest child entered kindergarten.  Since then, she has worked to support students, teachers and staff as a classroom and media center volunteer, served as sports team booster, site-based team member, grad bash chair, and PTO president at Portage Northern High School. Terri continues to actively participate as a student mentor in the Huskie Helper program at Portage Northern.  She has served on the district’s Elementary Committee, District Advisory Council, Science Curriculum Review committee, and as a volunteer for many Portage Schools millage efforts.  Terri currently serves as an ad-hoc member of the Curriculum and Instruction Council in her capacity as a PPS trustee.

In addition, Terri has served as a board member for the Kalamazoo County YMCA, a leader and life member of Girl Scouts, USA, treasurer of the Kalamazoo Abraham Lincoln Institute, and for many other organizations in the community.

During her time on the board, Terri has been active in the planning and execution of two successful millage proposals. The first included replacing and renovating the district’s middle schools and building new athletic facilities, to include new pools, at the high schools. The most recent bond proposal supported rebuilding the oldest of our elementary schools without a property tax increase.  As part of a committee comprised of administrators, educators, parents, and community members, Terri’s work on the Curriculum and Instruction Council has supported the district’s process of thorough research and review that aligns with the district’s curriculum standards.

Terri received her bachelor’s degree in finance, with minors in political science and Spanish, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  She and her husband, Jim, also an Illinois graduate, have lived in the Portage area for 45 years. They are the parents of three adult children, one of whom followed in their footsteps at the University of Illinois, and two who are University of Michigan grads. All three were active and involved K-12 Portage students.

Terri looks forward to working with her fellow board members to continue her long commitment to the success of all students in Portage, and to help PPS maintain its standing as the top achieving district in Kalamazoo County.