Casey Morrisroe: Student success at the forefront

Casey Morrisroe is a family man with a vision and heart for education.

He was born in Pasadena, Calif., and moved to Hayden Lake in 1985 upon entering the fourth grade. He graduated from Coeur d'Alene High School and attended North Idaho College before transferring to Arizona State University, where he received a dual degree of Bachelor of Science in business management and Bachelor of Science in marketing.

He has four daughters who are enrolled in Coeur d'Alene School District 271, so his new role as the district's Zone 2 Trustee means he will be looking out for the best educational interests of other people's kids as well as his own. Plus, his experience as a SD271 student allows him an understanding of the local schools from the student perspective, so working for the success of Coeur d'Alene students is personally meaningful.

Morrisroe has owned and operated Specialty Recreation and Marine, a marine and powersports dealership, in Coeur d'Alene since 2001. He enjoys watching his daughters in sporting events and performances, playing golf, boating, ATVing and traveling. He is also involved in the Sting Premier Soccer Club where he has been active on the board of directors.

Morrisroe lives his life with a "do what you love" attitude and is looking forward to working with other parents, teachers, staff and administrators to help SD271 students achieve their dreams and academic aspirations.

"I look forward to the day when I will be able to look back on the decisions we made and see the positive impact we had on the kids and the community," Morrisroe said.

Why did you decide to run for a position with the school board?

"I chose to run for the school board for several reasons. First, my experience as a student of Coeur d'Alene School District 271 had a profound impact on my life and if it weren't for a few administrators and teachers taking a special interest in me during high school, I might not be where I am today. Second, I am grateful for the support I have received from this community in my professional life and I want to give back. Third, and perhaps most importantly, I care deeply about the education of my own children and their peers and I am willing to put in the time and energy to ensure their success. Lastly, I believe I have the ability to analyze the situation and make rational decisions with the students and constituents in mind."

How did you feel when you were announced the winner of your position following the election in May?

"Well in my case I was unopposed, so after the candidacy deadlines passed without an opponent, I was declared the winner on April 2. I must admit I was surprised but relieved to not have to run a traditional campaign. Having the election behind me early allowed me to focus on preparing for my new role."

As a school board trustee, what will be your priorities? Goals?

"First and foremost, I think it is critical that we find ways to retain and attract quality educators and staff members. At the same time it is imperative that as a district we learn to live within our means. Over the past four years we have supplemented a lack of state funding with our contingency reserves and if we fail to change that trend we will soon find ourselves in an uncomfortable financial situation."

How long did you serve on the district's Long Range Planning Committee? What were your responsibilities and accomplishments, and how will that experience help you with your position as a trustee?

"I served on the Long Range Planning Committee for the past two years and was vice chair this past year. It was an interesting time to come aboard when I did because the community had just graciously supported the bond and construction was taking place that basically covered the existing plan. We were literally starting with a blank piece of paper, so we took a long hard look at demographical information and determined where our needs would be in the future. It is refreshing because I feel like we are at a point with our facilities where we can be proactive instead of reactive. For as long as I can remember, we have built new buildings because overcrowding had reached critical mass and by the time the building opened it was full. We have the opportunity to be ahead of the curve and manage growth in a healthy and effective manner."

In your opinion, what are the strengths and weaknesses of the school district?

"The strengths of District 271 are the staff, the community and the facilities. We are fortunate to have a talented and dedicated staff that is willing to put in the hard work to ensure our students success and we are blessed to live in a community that values education and supports it graciously. Through that dedication and support, the district has been able to update its aging facilities and provide an efficient, safe and secure learning environment that is the envy of North Idaho. As far as a weakness, and I'm not sure I would call it that, I hope to see some stability in our district leadership. Over the past four and a half years, the Coeur d'Alene School District has had 16 board trustees, three business managers and two superintendents and still managed to perform very well. When you imagine what the possibilities are with consistent and effective leadership it is quite exciting."

How do you plan to change and improve your school district? Do you have any programs, policies or ideas you're excited to introduce or adjust?

"I didn't come in with an agenda so I plan to take time to assimilate and see where that leads. One area I am trying to focus on is our strategic plan and goals. Over the past few years a lot of hard work has gone into developing the district's strategic direction and I think they have done a great job. This year I hope that we can begin to set specific, time-bound goals that we will share and measure publicly to increase accountability for improvement."

Where do you see the school district 10 years from now?

"I think over the next 10 years the district is going to continue to grow and adapt to the needs and demands of the community. I imagine that technology will become integral in our classrooms and magnet or focus schools will become the norm. I believe that we will continue to set a high bar for achievement and be recognized as one of the top school districts in the state."

As a parent, what would you like to see happen with our school district?

"As a parent, the biggest concern I have, and probably the one I hear the most from other parents, is on the amount of time spent testing. I think we are in an adjustment period as Idaho has transitioned into the ISAT2 testing. I'd like to see the district continue to tweak testing protocol and policy to minimize the impact on the student and ensure a productive testing environment."

As a school board trustee, how can you make that happen?

"Once I found out that I was unopposed in the election and a trustee elect, one of the first calls I made was to Mike Nelson, director of curriculum and assessment for District 271, to schedule time to observe the ISAT2 testing that was taking place. I felt it was important that I get a sense of what was occurring in May, 2015 as opposed to waiting until May, 2016, and Mike was gracious enough to accompany me on observations at the high school, middle school and elementary level. I walked away impressed with what I saw and I believe that Mike and his team will continue to improve the process as we evaluate test score and times and develop best practices that can be rolled out district-wide."