Incumbent, Duane Horsley, is one of four candidates running for two seats on the Carroll Community School District (CCSD) Board of Education this fall. Horsley first moved to the Carroll Area in 1983, and he and his wife, Kris, have five grown children, four of which graduated from Carroll High School. He first decided to run eight years ago to give back to the district and community that had given their kids such a great start on life. Horsley says those reasons have not changed over time, but they are more focused.
According to Horsley, a lot has changed within the district since he was elected to the board, most of it for the good. He says it is difficult to pin down what he is most proud of when he looks at his last two terms. From a new athletic stadium and capital improvements to expanding teaching staff without raising instructional levies, each one is an achievement in its own right. However, Horsley says recent management of district finances stands out.
He adds keeping in-person education as much as possible during the 2020-21 school year is also quite an accomplishment, especially when you consider remote learning was the norm in much of the rest of the country. Looking ahead, one of the biggest issues facing the district is hiring new, qualified educators, which is problem at almost every school in the state. Horsley says Carroll has a lot to offer to young teachers, but the board needs to do a better job of making that known to potential hires.
Horsley says an issue of equal importance is student mental health.
Horsley encourages stakeholders with questions about how the school is run or about his candidacy to reach out to him because it is important that stakeholders have their voices heard when it comes to their children’s education. Two positions on the board are up for election on Nov. 2, and other candidates include incumbent, Jen Munson, and two newcomers, Kristen Lundstrom and Salissou Sani Saidou.
