Susan Eyestone, Minneapolis schools watchdog

Citizen watchdog Susan Eyestone was a fixture at Minneapolis school board meetings for about three decades and a confidante to superintendents, who respected her knowledge of budgets and advocacy for children.

She lobbied at the State Capitol and in Washington, and she was president of the Minnesota Parent Teacher Association (PTA) in the late 1990s.

Eyestone, 66, died of peritoneal cancer Monday at an Edina hospice center.

"She was an incredible champion of public education," said Judy Farmer, a former board member of 27 years and her friend for longer. "She was the citizen who always kept us honest. She made sure all materials given board members were handed out to the public. ... Many board members fondly called her the eighth board member."

Her specialty was school finance. She served on the district's Budget Advisory Committee starting in 1982 and chaired it several times. She helped compile a booklet, "Citizen's Guide to School Finances."

"She was a whiz on computers and learned what an Excel spread sheet could do," Farmer said. "She would get into the bowels of the school district and produce data for board members in a format that was very helpful."

Eyestone's husband, Bob Eyestone, said she started her advocacy by joining the PTA when their son entered Burroughs Elementary in 1974. She was president of the state PTA from 1995 to 1997, then served two years as secretary of the national PTA, said Wendy Graves, of Ramsey, who succeeded Eyestone as state PTA president.

She said Eyestone was a patient, natural teacher. "She was so smart when it came to that funny-money budget stuff. She was the only one that could make me understand it," Graves said.

Eyestone lost her one bid for a school board seat, but she campaigned for other board members, including Farmer.

Minneapolis Superintendent Bill Green said the Eyestone home was a sanctuary for him. Besides serving up great waffles, "she was tireless in providing me with insights and background. ... She had an encyclopedic know ledge of all things" involving the district, said Green, who also consulted her during his eight years as a board member.

She sat right in front at board meetings. "You could see if she was amused or displeased," Green said. "There was nothing obstructing you from those eyes."

Her presence helped ensure open government, noted former Superintendent David Jennings, now chief of the Chaska school district. He said he trusted her and valued her insightful opinions as an outsider who understood complex district operations and budgets and was loyal to no one but the students.

"A lot of decisions occurred in those rooms," Jennings said. "They were all open, but they occurred at 2 in the afternoon. She contributed to a more open frame of mind."

Bob Eyestone said his wife was a strong believer in "the socializing value of public education -- bringing a whole variety of kids together because that was the way life would be."

"She always pushed for equity," Green said. "She was one who really kept the educational welfare of kids of color, kids of poverty, wherever they lived, at heart."