Carson City School District candidates Michelle Pedersen, left, John Henley, Mike Walker and Ashliee Saucedo during a forum Oct. 9, 2024.
Photo by Jessica Garcia.
Candidates for the Carson City School Board on Wednesday drew on varying levels of professional and community experience to address the most recent issues affecting students and families.
The League of Women Voters of Northern Nevada, Sierra Nevada Forums and AAUW Capital (NV) Branch held its second forum co-sponsored by the Nevada Appeal at the Brewery Arts Center.
The school board portion of the evening featured trustee candidates for district 5 – incumbent Mike Walker and challenger Ashliee Saucedo – and district 7 – John Henley and Michelle Pedersen. District 2 candidate Rebecca Roberts, who is unopposed, did not participate.
The forum was moderated by Anne Macquarie and attended by more than 120. The debate can be viewed online at https://youtu.be/GkW0WlxWjFI?si=aoiyZxjY_8_zmP5d.
Questions for the candidates concerned cell phone pouches, chronic absenteeism, budget priorities and school safety.
Walker is running for his third term on the board and shared his experience as president, vice president and clerk since he assumed the position in 2016. He is vice president and president-elect for the Nevada Association of School Boards, past president for Food for Thought and works as principal of Sutro Elementary School in Lyon County.
Macquarie asked candidates about a plan to address the district’s chronic absenteeism and its implications for Carson City, and Walker said CCSD has been fortunate to have local partners and companies who have been involved in the effort to encourage students and families to reengage in the classroom.
“There is no replacement for highly-qualified teachers in a classroom building a relationship with a child,” Walker said. “These kids need to be in school, and we need to work with our community and we need to make sure that we are all screaming it from the rooftops because we are going to depend on these children to run our society.”
Saucedo, owner of High Desert Home Care and who has completed a certified nurses assistant license, has a child attending an elementary school in the district. She previously stated she would like to help the communication and feedback process from parents who have concerns about the schools and to advocate for more student engagement with their schoolwork.
Saucedo suggested using technology as motivation and as a means of tracking to keep students in the classroom.
“I’m definitely wanting to look more into that and find out what we can do to resolve that and reduce the number of absences,” she said.
Henley and Pedersen, speaking on security, said the district has established a positive relationship with the Carson City Sheriff’s Office and were interested in making the schools a safe environment for students. They were asked how they would propose enhancing school safety while balancing the district’s need for security and maintaining a supportive and welcoming environment for kids.
Henley, a warden of the Northern Nevada Correctional Center who has served in law enforcement since 2006, said he would like to keep the district maintain stability and put himself “out of business” without having youth incidents to tend to in the long run. Henley, who became a father young in life, said he’s seen many people who have made poor choices and has had a desire to help them turn around for the better. He also took note of the recent school threats the CCSO and other local agencies have responded to in the region.
“I also realize that nobody wants to go into a school environment and have to see, effectively, an officer at the front gate before you enter it,” he said. “This is concerning. … But I think what we’ve done in this area and in this community, partnering with the Carson City Sheriff’s Office and having the school resource officers, is fantastic.”
Pedersen and her husband, a fire captain in Douglas County, have raised four children in Carson City, with two still attending Carson High. She became involved with several local organizations as a Little League coach and president, parent volunteer coordinator for Youth Theatre Carson City, helped to run an intramural sports program for kids and serves as a registrar for Carson High’s SafeGrad.
Pedersen referred to the district’s double-door entry system and Raptor scanners that require visitors to provide their identification when they check in at a school.
“Are there ways for bad to happen?” Pedersen said. “Absolutely. A determined person can cause chaos anywhere they choose. But the overall vibe in the schools that I feel, and that my children feel, is a safe environment, and I’m thankful for all those that put in the effort to make sure we have that for them.”
The next election forums are scheduled for Oct. 14 and 16. More information is available online at