The world was a lot different in 1988 than it is today, at the end of 2018. Thirty years ago the price of gas was $0.90, the Berlin Wall was still standing and Ronald Reagan was president. Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, turned 4 in May of 1988.

Troup County, not surprisingly, also looked a lot different back then.

The Troup County School System had just merged with the West Point School System and soon after merged with the LaGrange School System in the 1990s.

Even back then, three decades ago, both Alfred McNair and Ted Alford were already playing a role in education.

In 1988, McNair was just starting his time on the school board, a role he’d keep for the next 30 years.

Alford was in the midst of a 39-year tenure with TCSS as a teacher, coach and principal — a tenure that would continue until his retirement 2004.

He then ran for school board and served on the board starting in 2011.

Both men retired from the school board on Thursday evening, and were given the honor of adjourning their final meeting together. Neither ran for re-election this time around, instead allowing someone new to take on their spots representing district 4 and district 7 on the board.

They’ll both be greatly missed.

During their time in education, both helped direct TCSS through a changing world.

McNair was on the board for 16 years before Facebook was created, but just a few months ago voted with the rest of the board to approve the purchase of Chromebooks for the One to One initiative. One to One is meant to get a laptop computer in every student’s hands at TCSS.

Alford served as school board chairman for many years, leading the board through difficult decisions and reflecting on how decisions might affect teachers and principals.

They were also part of the board’s search for a new superintendent, a search that will continue on without them in the months ahead.

We appreciate both men for all of their service on the school board. The Troup County School System is better off because of their contributions.