Carroll resident, Jon Sampson, was elected to the Carroll Community School District (CCSD) Board of Education in 2015 and will be appearing on the November ballot in search of another term. A seat on the school board is generally not one of the most sought-after elected positions, but Sampson says it was family that initially made him decide to run.
From developing five-year plans to keeping the bus and vehicle fleet maintained, managing a school district can be a daunting task, and he says he has learned a lot about what it takes to keep a district running during his time on the board. According to Sampson, school funding is one of the toughest issues and is far more complex than most people think.
The November midterms will be the first time in Iowa history school board elections are included, and five candidates are running for the three available seats. Sampson says he is glad to see so many people take an interest in public service.
The Board of Education has faced some criticism recently for changes to the district’s facility rental policy, primarily for the Carroll Athletic Stadium. The concern comes primarily from Kuemper families, who say the parochial school will be paying significantly more than it had to in the past to host events there. Public school officials have cited increased personnel costs associated with cleaning the stadium as the cause for the increase. Sampson says he understands the complaints from Kuemper alumni and families, but he says the district cannot take a loss every time the stadium is rented.
Carroll is one of only a handful of communities in Iowa that has public and parochial schools of similar sizes. Sampson says he will take into consideration the concerns of all the district’s stakeholders if reelected, but he makes clear what the board’s priorities are.
The board consists of five at-large seats and only three seats are on the ballot for the Nov. 5 election, meaning only the top three vote getters will win a spot. Other candidates include Cindy Johnson, Onica Ulveling, Karen Friedlein, who was appointed to fill a vacancy left when Gina Badding resigned from the board, and one incumbent, Brad Jorgensen. Carroll Broadcasting will bring you more from these candidates in upcoming broadcasts.
