Cassidy sworn in as KSD trustee

KELLOGG –– Felicia Cassidy was sworn in as a trustee for the Kellogg School District Board earlier this week.

Cassidy is filling the Zone 5 trustee’s seat, formerly occupied by Carolyn Turner.

Turner had served on the board for several years but felt that with her youngest child graduating this year that it was time for another person to have a chance to contribute to the district.

Her resignation letter was accepted at the April board meeting, and her final day as a trustee was set for June 5, 2023, the day after Kellogg High School held its graduation ceremony.

“Even though we knew this change was upcoming, we are sad to see Carolyn leave the board and her many years of service to the district were invaluable,” a statement from the district read. “We wish her all the best in the future and appreciate her support of the Kellogg School District.”

After Turner announced her intentions to resign, the board began searching for her replacement – the two finalists for the position were Cassidy and John Schroeder, where after several rounds of interview questions during a special meeting on June 7, the board decided to offer Cassidy the seat.

Cassidy is more than qualified for the position and has spent time as an educator, which gives her a clearer insight into understanding what is needed in the classroom.

“I started getting involved in my kids’ school district in early elementary, subbed, and even taught high school math for one-and-a-half years in Nevada,” Cassidy told the News-Press.

When Cassidy and her family returned home, she knew that she wanted to get involved with the district her kids were attending, but she also wanted to get back to her career.

“When we moved back to Idaho I decided to go back to engineering and get involved in the school in other ways,” Cassidy said. “When the opportunity arose for school board I felt it would be a great fit where I could help the children of our community and the district.”

Because she is filling a seat that was opened by resignation, Cassidy is only guaranteed her spot until the November election, but she plans on seeking re-election at that time because she has some goals for her time as a trustee.

These include looking into finding new funding streams – for everything from educating and staffing to facility upgrades.

“My goals involve finding funding to allow for more hands-on training in trades,” Cassidy said. “These additions take space, money, and great educators and I hope to help find all of that. I also hope to help guide facility planning to upgrade existing buildings to allow for broader use. And finally would like to be involved in curriculum selections and assessment, especially in math.”

As it pertains to building and facility upgrades, Cassidy faces an uphill battle in her new position – considering that in 2019 the district tried to pass a facilities bond for $7.9 million and failed twice.

That was four years ago, when the assessed dollar amount associated with bringing the district’s facilities up to code was closer to $10 million, now that number is likely even higher.