For the first time in months, Michael Fisher was in attendance at Monday’s Ripon Unified school board meeting.
He has been battling health-related issues and was under doctor’s orders to limit his work schedule to an hour, according to board President Kit Oase.
“We had him here longer than that,” he said at the session held at the Ripon High Multi-Purpose Room (the Ripon Planning Commission meeting bumped the monthly session of the school board from the Council Chambers).
Fisher, who chose not to run again for his Trustee Area 4 due to his health — Caroline Hutto is scheduled to take the oath of office at next month’s meeting — was recognized for his eight years of service on the school board.
“We’ve been blessed with the folks we have at the school district,” he said after receiving his recognition plaque from his colleagues. “I’ve enjoyed my time here.”
Oase said that Fisher came at a time when tough decisions were necessary as a result of the 2008 recession that put a damper on education.
“Mr. Fisher came to us during some tough financial times. He helped make cuts which was not an easy task,” said Oase, who also pointed out that his colleague was in the forefront of restoring many of those cuts in recent times.
Fisher, in addition, was school president numerous times in those eight years.
He’s a product of the RUSD system and was a three-sport athlete and active FFA member at Ripon High.

To contact reporter Vince Rembulat, e-mail vrembulat@mantecabulletin.com.