Changing Lives

Chesbrough also recalled a conversation in his driveway with a then recent graduate of Lisbon High whom he had had to suspend four times.

“This young man walked up to me and said, ’You disciplined me like the rest of the kids and didn’t make choices based on my last name. You encouraged me to stay in school and graduate,’” Chesbrough said. “He also went to college and has been very successful in his career. I hated seeing teachers label kids. Everyone deserves a fair shot.”

Chesbrough also served as the president of the teachers’ union, negotiating contracts and advocating for teachers’ rights. When he became the district’s superintendent, he said the teachers knew he’d be fair with them.

“I knew the teachers well, and we worked very well together,” Chesbrough said. “I never had a budget defeated, and we always had a contract on time.”

Setting Up Shop

Chesbrough’s influence on the small, rural district and its graduates stretches around the globe.