‘It’s very much an honor’

Trustees this week deemed Carson City School District Superintendent Richard Stokes superior in his annual performance evaluation.

And they are not alone in their thinking.

Stokes was named Superintendent of the Year by the Nevada Association of School Superintendents.

“It’s very much an honor,” he said. “I appreciate the fact that my peers saw something in my work that resonated well enough with them that they felt I was qualified to be recognized this way.”

Stokes, who served last year as the president of the Nevada Association of School Superintendents, received the award during a meeting of that organization last week.

In his six years as superintendent, Stokes said, he has seen many changes in the school district.

“Education has evolved at a tremendous rate of speed in the last seven years,” he said. “Even if the business of education stayed the same, there would always be the human element. When you have nearly 7,500 students and their parents, staff, there’s always something that’s changing.”

That’s part of what excites him about the job, Stokes said.

“I get to experience everything from bus routes and the operation of feeding students to seeing buildings and grounds well maintained to then what most would consider the normal and customary work of holding school every day,” he said. “There’s a tremendous variety that goes on every school day.”

In a joint meeting of the school district and the Carson City Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, the two entities resolved to work together in working toward their goals. Stokes said the community’s interest in schools, including the strategic plan emphasizing partnerships with local businesses and other organizations, has contributed to their success.

“These people are helping us in our jobs,” he said. “They are using their experience to expose our students to their area of the world.”

Stokes’ own children are products of the Carson City School District. The oldest three are in college and the youngest is a freshman at Carson High School.

“It is a good educational system,” he said. “I attribute that to a creative and dedicated staff.”

He said his family has been instrumental to his career.

“They’ve been very supportive,” Stokes said. “Being superintendent takes a lot of time.”

But he hopes to be remembered for the relationships he’s formed while in the position.

“I’m proud of the fact that we’re instilling in all of our employees that we’re customer oriented,” he said. “We try to address everyone’s concerns. We have an open-door policy.”