School board candidates need to step forward

One of Carson City's most visible and important governing boards seeks applicants to fill an upcoming vacancy. However, instead of a flood of interested residents stepping forward, as of Tuesday only one person had applied.

Two longtime members, John McKenna and Mayor-elect Bob Crowell, are leaving the school board. Steve Reynolds was elected in November to replace McKenna, who reached his term limit after 16 years with the school district.

Crowell recently resigned the District 4 seat as he prepares to assume his new role at city hall after winning the mayoral election. Crowell's departure created the current vacancy.

At his final school board meeting last week, McKenna reminisced about his tenure and took the opportunity to encourage additional candidates to step up and apply for the open seat. McKenna expressed dismay that more parents aren't interested in serving. We couldn't agree more.

In a metropolitan area the size of Carson, it's shocking that school board openings often attract such a small pool of interested candidates. When it comes to criticism of government, including school district operations, there seems to be no shortage of residents willing to make their opinions known. We urge that more people redirect that energy in a productive manner " such as stepping forward and applying for the open school board seat.

One candidate in a district with thousands of parents, and surely hundreds of capable people to serve on the education board, borders on embarrassment considering the influence board members have in shaping the educational future of the city's youth.

As McKenna noted in his farewell remarks: "If a 60-some-odd bachelor with no kids can be on the school board, then parents with kids in the district should definitely be on it. I would hope that 20 to 30 parents would apply."

Applications are being accepted until 5 p.m. Jan. 7 at the Carson City School District Office, 1402 W. King St. Applicants will be interviewed and selected at the Jan. 13 meeting. Contact the superintendent's office at 283-2100 with questions.

If a flood of candidates is unrealistic, let's at least increase the current flow from a single drip of applicants to a steady trickle.