Ashley Kruse, who described herself last month as “the Susan Lucci of school board appointments,” after two unsuccessful previous tries for open Valparaiso School Board seats, found success after the two-and-half-hour second round interview process on Monday before the Valparaiso City Council.
Kruse said her references to television soap opera actress Lucci, who became known for her lament of often being nominated for an Emmy Award, but not winning after 18 nominations until May 21, 1999, was meant to highlight her dedication and persistence to achieve personal and professional goals.
City of Valparaiso attorney Patrick Lyp conducted the candidate interviews and guided questions submitted by the council for 25-minute interviews in the city hall council chambers. All four applicants were provided with the 20 questions in advance to research and prepare their answers.
Kruse was appointed in favor of the competing finalists, who included Ron Donahue, Brett Miller and Kurt Minko, a current school board member who also served as school board president.
“It is the responsibility of the school board to work collaboratively with the Valparaiso City Council,” said Kruse, who works in information technology services.
“Our shared goals are key.”
Lyp posed a question on behalf of the council about a recent demographics study that revealed a possible need for a third elementary school for Valparaiso families.
“We all see the new developments coming in around Valparaiso and there are ways to plan and prepare for community growth by first utilizing the resources we already have,” Kruse said.
“If we can reallocate elementary students across the district, since I know Cooks Corners and Memorial Elementary schools are already at capacity and there’s already a lot of west development over there, so looking at banking some land out that way would be a good idea. A comprehensive plan for funding is going to be necessary.”
Kruse said as a board member, if ever faced with the need for future school corporation budget cuts, she would prioritize essential services and avoid cuts to teacher salaries and classroom resources and student support services.
“I would want to talk to the stakeholders, like parents and teachers, to hear their concerns and then I would make a data-driven decision,” Kruse said.
Kruse said she has an understanding of the special education programs offered by Valparaiso Schools because she has a child in the programs, which has provided her first-hand knowledge of the resources available. She said in recent years she has spoken to other parents who have children in the programs and has received positive feedback.
“There is confidence in Valparaiso Schools and the administration and teachers to grow and evolve to meet both the needs and change,” Kruse said.
Following the interviews, the five Democrats on the city council backed Kruse for the school board appointment while the two Republican council members supported Minko to continue on the school board. After further discussion, council consensus led to the Kruse nomination and a unanimous council vote, with the duties and term for Kruse to begin in July.
“Selecting our school board appointments is one of the most important things that we do as a council,” said council member Diana Reed, D-1st, who last year served as the council liaison to the Valparaiso Community Schools.
“Ashley Kruse was my top pick the last time she was a candidate for our school board appointment and she was my number one pick again this time because of the passion, wisdom and tech knowledge she brings with her to provide further insight with her data-driven mind. She will be an excellent addition to our school board.”
Philip Potempa is a freelance writer for the Post-Tribune.
