As an Austin Public Schools teacher for 33 years, Diana Wangsness knew the ins and outs of the classroom. As an Austin Public School Board member, Wangsness knew the ins and outs of the district. Nowadays, Wangsness is getting ready for the ins and outs of free time.

Wangsness sat in her last official board meeting Monday night. She decided not to pursue re-election this year so she could spend more time with her family.

“I’m just ready to go on to other things in life,” she said.

Wangsness came to the board at a somewhat tumultuous time, as the board dealt with former superintendent Candace Raskin’s departure as well as former board member Curt Rude’s lawsuit, along with his criminal charges and eventual felony drug conviction.

“The first year was a challenge,” Wangsness said. “The board was in turmoil. Things have quieted down.”

Wangsness said she was happy to be supportive and informed of what she said are all the good things going on in Austin Public Schools, from the new intermediate school under construction to the Success Coach program, which helps students who are learning English and students of color excel in schools.

“What an exciting time for Austin Public Schools,” Wangsness said.

As a former fifth-grade social studies teacher, Wangsness has long been excited over the possibilities of a fifth- and sixth-grade school. She said it will be exciting to see how the school incorporates Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum.

“That would be so much fun to do a lot of sharing in your classroom, a lot of wonderful opportunities,” she said.

Wangsness will enjoy her newfound time by visiting her children and grandchildren more often, along with more family trips like a skiing trip in Colorado where she’ll be for the next several weeks. She was glad for the opportunity to see Austin Public Schools from a board perspective, however. As a teacher she didn’t always get to see how the financial, educational, and policy pieces fit, but that changed once she served on plenty of board committees.

“There’s just so much good going on,” she said. “I’m just so thankful of Austin.”