Walker takes Carson City school board seat

The education system in Carson City and Nevada will see some new faces with the Nevada University Board of Regents, State Board of Education and Carson City School Board.

Carson City School Board: Walker and Hart elected to board

Michael Walker was elected for the District 5 seat with the School Board in Tuesday’s elections.

Walker beat current School Board trustee Steve Reynolds with 54.45 percent of the votes, totaling 10,965.

“I am really excited for the opportunity (to serve on the School Board),” Walker said. “I used to be a teacher and school administrator in Carson and I work for the Nevada Department of Education. I am excited to be elected because I will continue to work with the students of Carson City and it is my passion so I am honored to continue to work with these families.”

Walker taught at Seeliger Elementary and worked at Carson Middle School and Fritsch Elementary. He was voted Carson City’s Favorite Teacher while at Seeliger.

Over the next four years, Walker hopes to focus on the staffing within schools: working on improving moral with teachers and reducing the number of substitute teachers in the classrooms.

“Carson City is an excellent school district and there’s a lot of things they are doing right that a lot of districts could model, but there are also concerns,” Walker said. “...We need to support our teachers, students and families to work together to get students career and college ready.”

“We need to have licensed teacher in the classrooms with the students because these kids only get one shot at being a student.”

Walker said that he is just excited to be able to work with his passion and work with the School Board.

“I just want to thank you to the families of Carson City for electing me and I will make them proud,” Walker said. “I will work hard to the kids to give them the best education.”

Three Carson City School Board trustees ran unopposed this election cycle: Vice President Laurel Crossman, President Joe Cacioppo and trustee Susan Hart.

All three candidates said that they were glad to be able to continue to work with the School Board in order to continue to bring change to Carson City.

“I’m honored to have been elected to the Carson City School Board, and I look forward to another four years serving the students and families of Carson City,” said Crossman.

School Board trustees serve on the board for four years. Hart has served on the board less than one year, after being appointed following the resignation of District 6’s Deonne Contine in March. Cacioppo and Crossman have both served on the School Board since January 2016.

“I enjoyed these past four years working with District staff and teachers, and look forward with excitement and optimism to the next four years,” Cacioppo said. “We have a very involved Board with a common purpose, and I enjoy sharing this responsibility with each of them.”

For the three, the next four years means action for the schools: from increasing family engagement and student achievement to improving staffing and funding for the sites.

“Carson City faces the same education issues as the rest of the nation, including insufficient funding, onerous reporting requirements that sap our educators, and a critical shortage of teachers,” Hart said. “Within Carson City, though, I see dedicated staff working with a strong vision for giving students the best and most meaningful education possible.”

“The system is in place and our teachers, who are truly amazing and hard-working people, have been instrumental in this development. Now we need results,” Cacioppo added. “… Our teachers are capable and ready. We need to support them by minimizing their peripheral workload so they can have more time within the existing school day to focus on students.”

State Elections:

For the state of Nevada, Carol Del Carlo was leading the race for the University Board of Regents, District 9.

This position is a two-year term and covers Carson City, Churchill, Douglas, Esmeralda, Lander, Lyon, Mineral, Storey and Washoe counties.

Del Carlo had a 53 percent to 47 percent lead with 96 percent of the vote in.

With 76 percent of the vote in, David Carter was leading in the race for Nevada State Board to Education, District 2, over incumbent Pat Hickey. This seat oversees Carson City, Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Eureka, Humbolt, Lander, Lyon, Pershing, Storey and Washoe counties and is a four-year term.