School board members play an important role in shaping the future of our district. They help establish goals, make decisions that impact students and staff, oversee district finances, and work alongside administration to ensure Nevada Community School District continues to provide outstanding opportunities for all learners.
In the July issue of Our Nevada magazine, we highlighted members of the Nevada Community School District Board of Education. Because space was limited, we could only include a portion of their responses. Below, our board members share more about their experiences, perspectives, and commitment to serving our schools and community.
Why did you decide to serve on the school board?
Tom Maier
When I first decided to run for school board back in 2011, it was my desire to be able to give back to the community in which I was living and raising a family. Flash forward 15 years later and I am still striving to give back, but am also looking forward to my last term and hopeful to encourage other individuals living and raising their families in Nevada to do the same. It is an incredible and worthwhile experience!
Emily Schaack
I find the inner workings of a school very fascinating and wanted to be involved in the district in a broad role that would allow me to learn and be part of decisions affecting our students and staff.
Marty Chitty
I decided to serve on the school board because I had three children moving through the Nevada school district. After being approached a few times, I felt 2007 was the right time to get involved.
Leanne Harter
Simply stated, I serve on the school board because it provides me with an opportunity to give back to the community of Nevada.
Tori Carsrud
I really enjoy volunteering and professionally I work in education, so I knew serving on the school board would allow me to combine my passion for education with volunteering.
What do you enjoy most about serving?
Tom Maier
I would have to say that it was the board members I got to serve with that I enjoyed the most. I’ve had the fortune and pleasure to serve with a diverse and knowledgeable group of individuals during my time on the board. Every one of my fellow board members has contributed greatly to the success of our board and to our district over the years. I have learned a great deal from each and feel that our interactions and the way we complemented each other’s knowledge and abilities contributed to making my time so special.
Emily Schaack
I enjoy serving the school district in this important volunteer role. I have learned a lot in my short time on the board, not only about our district, but also state governance and its impact on public schools.
Marty Chitty
What I enjoy most is having served long enough, approaching two decades now, to see decisions we made years ago prove successful. It’s rewarding to know those choices have benefited our students and will continue to do so for many years to come.
Leanne Harter
The one activity I enjoy most is Graduation Day. Every board meeting, I think about how our decisions lead up to that day for students. Beyond that, I enjoy the act of learning itself, and with each meeting of the school board and materials we review leading up to that and other information we are given, I have learned about the education system and how the many wheels turn to make it work.
Tori Carsrud
I enjoy the deep discussions that are held around the board table. My fellow board members all serve for the purpose of making this district better, and I feel that commitment during our meetings.
What makes our school district special to you?
Tom Maier
It’s people. There are some amazing teachers, administrators, and staff who come together to make the Nevada Community School District the success it is. I have always been impressed by the quality of individuals who choose to come work for and lead our district. It really is a strength of our community school district.
Emily Schaack
I like seeing the ways the Nevada community supports our school district. Whether it is by attending school events, providing donations to the district, or creating internships for students, it is very visible to me that the school is an important piece of our whole community and is stronger because of that support.
Marty Chitty
Both my wife and I, along with our three children, are products of Nevada Community Schools. Many of my friends and people I grew up with share that same story. That’s why my commitment to this district runs as deep as it does to my own family. I don’t take it lightly, and I’m never indifferent to anything that could help our schools succeed.
Leanne Harter
Everything about the district is special to me. The students and the excitement they bring day one when they enter our doors, and then the teachers and staff that greet them and lead them through the education journey. And, I cannot forget the facilities, which create the environment for students to be present, and be engaged in and learn from the experiences brought to them.
Tori Carsrud
Nevada is my hometown, and getting to be a part of making this district so special is an honor and a way to give back to a district that helped make me who I am today.
What is one thing you wish the community knew more about regarding the district?
Tom Maier
The time and effort so many put in, often behind the scenes, make our children’s school year a success. I have witnessed, at every level, extraordinary efforts being made, in some of the most challenging times for education, that made all the difference to the experience the students in this district receive.
Marty Chitty
One thing I wish more people knew is that we’ve been very purposeful about paying down our long-term debt. Come July 1st, 2030, in just a little over four years, we’ll have paid off all the bonds used to build our current facilities. That will free up roughly two million dollars each year for the district to use in new ways. This was a long-term, multi-administration effort to give our students the facilities they need while still paying our bills on time. That financial freedom will open up exciting possibilities for the next generation.
Leanne Harter
We don’t celebrate small achievements enough, because in a lot of ways, everyone sees them as things that just need to get done to continue to move forward.
Tori Carsrud
School finances. They are complex!
What are you most proud of during your time on the board?
Tom Maier
The district continually strived to improve itself, within the constraints of fiscal responsibility. We are fortunate to have administrators and board members who could collectively see where areas of improvement were needed and worked together to make changes happen. From multiple facilities improvements to curriculum changes in response to student achievement needs, the district is always trying to move forward while keeping an eye on our bottom line. We have been very proactive at paying down our higher-interest bonds, which allows us the freedom, budgetarily, to pursue capital and curriculum improvements, while still reducing the impact on our tax-paying public.
Emily Schaack
I have only been on the school board for half a year, but am proud that we have tabled some large expenses during an unsettling time of lower state funding (though, unfortunately, we have to do so).
Marty Chitty
I’m most proud that we’ve built excellent new performance venues for both athletics and fine arts. Many people today probably assume these facilities have always been here, but they’re actually recent additions made possible through strong community support, committed board members, and capable administration.
Leanne Harter
The item I am most proud of during my time are the new opportunities available to students to engage in internship opportunities, online learning platforms, college and dual credit classes, enterprises, theatre arts, music, and athletic programs, or pursue passions that help them grow as individuals.
Tori Carsrud
The opportunities we are providing for students and the facilities available to host those opportunities.
What inspires you most about today’s students?
Tom Maier
Their ability to cope with an ever-changing world. School is very different from when I attended. Students have multiple distractions tugging at them. Having to navigate a school day with the distraction of social media, technology and more demands outside the classroom, whether through work or extra-curriculars (or both!), I’m amazed at how many of our students still excel in the classroom. We have an outstanding group of students in our District!
Emily Schaack
I am constantly in awe of Nevada students today. From their leadership capabilities to the way their social-emotional skills are positively displayed, I think NCSD is providing some great opportunities for our students to be who they want to be.
Marty Chitty
What inspires me most about today’s students is their strong commitment to excellence. We’ve included students as junior board members, and their thoughtful input has genuinely helped shape the policies and direction we adopt. Nevada is also ranked as the 21st best-performing school district out of 327 in the state by the Department of Education. That’s no small achievement.
Leanne Harter
Today’s students are willing to tackle challenges from different viewpoints and are agile in their responses. They don’t simply settle for “that’s the way it is” response.
Tori Carsrud
Students today are so much more aware of interconnections in the world. They are insightful and thoughtful and as a board member, I appreciate when a student shares their ideas for how to make our district a better place for everyone!
Tell us a little about yourself.
Tom Maier
I am a molecular plant pathologist, employed for the past 30 years by Iowa State University, where I work on the problem of soybean cyst nematode disease, which afflicts our nation’s soybean farmers. My wife, Rhonda, is the Director of Parks and Recreation in Nevada, after spending the past 25 years as the Assistant Director. We have two sons, Tate and Nate, who are 2022 and 2025 graduates of NHS, respectively. Tate recently graduated from Iowa State University with a B.S. in Political Science and Nate is currently attending DMACC and will transfer to Iowa State to study Psychology. In my free time, past years were spent coaching and helping with many of my sons’ sports teams, but nowadays, you will likely find me out at the Nevada Cubs Softball Field watching Rhonda with her new endeavor as head softball coach. Go Cubs!
Emily Schaack
I have two children in the district, one in middle school and one in high school. In addition to attending all of their activities and events, I am on the Nevada Foundation Board, the NCRC Advisory Board, and the Rotary Club of Nevada. Outside of serving my community, I enjoy spending time exploring our state – kayaking lakes, hiking the parks, checking out local coffee shops, and bookstores.
Marty Chitty
I’ve been a lifelong Nevada resident. My wife and I raised three children who all graduated from Nevada schools. I’ve worked in various roles throughout the county and currently work in HVAC in Ames. I’ve served on numerous boards and committees over the years, and I see myself as someone who’s focused on passing the torch to the next generation.
Tori Carsrud
I am an educator by day and a mom and wife by night. I have three children in the district who are involved in many activities. Outside of the school board, I serve as a leader for Scout Troop 128 and am a member of First United Methodist Church.
As these responses demonstrate, our board members bring a variety of experiences and perspectives to their roles, but they share a common commitment to serving Nevada Community School District and supporting student success. We are grateful for their willingness to volunteer their time, thoughtfully consider important decisions, and help guide our district’s future. Thank you to Tom Maier, Emily Schaack, Marty Chitty, Leanne Harter, and Tori Carsrud for their service to our students, staff, and community.