September 12, 2024
A familiar face will be returning to serve on the Grand Island Public Schools Board of Education.
On Thursday, September 12th, 2024, after other regular business was covered, the GIPS Board interviewed two candidates and voted to appoint Carlos Barcenas for the vacant Ward C seat.
On August 8th, the GIPS Board accepted the resignation of Board Member Katie Mauldin. Ms. Mauldin’s employment required her to relocate to a different community, rendering vacant her seat on the Board representing Ward C.
After a period of public notice and advertising for the Ward C vacancy, the GIPS Board accepted qualified applications.
At Thursday's regular meeting, the GIPS Board interviewed the full field of qualified applicants, which included two candidates:
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Miguel Aguilera
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Carlos Barcenas
Miguel Aguilera is a Ward C, Grand Island, resident. Aguilera serves as the Assistant Director of Admissions for the Grand Island Area at Wayne State College.
Carlos Barcenas is a Ward C, Grand Island, resident. Previously, Barcenas served on the GIPS Board of Education from January 2013 - December 2022. Barcenas serves as a professional speaker, coach, and facilitator with “I Choose Purple”.
After a formal, public interview, discussion, and voting process, the GIPS Board voted to appoint Mr. Carlos Barcenas at the regular meeting on Thursday, September 12th, 2024. The Board expressed confidence in both interviewed candidates but ultimately voted to welcome Barcenas to the table as a Ward C representative.
Reflecting on the opportunity, Barcenas shared:
“Really grateful for the opportunity to serve on this high-quality Board and to serve our community and GIPS in this role again.” Barcenas said, “Also, I’m really proud of Miguel for his willingness to step-up and volunteer to be of service to our great community.”
The term served will be September 2024 - December 2026 as that will carry out the rest of Ms. Mauldin’s original term.
Mr. Barcenas will be sworn-in as the new Ward C Board representative on Monday, September 23, 2024 during the Special Board Meeting to approve the district budget.
With the new appointment in place near the end of the month, the Grand Island Public Schools Board will be back at full capacity with all nine representative seats filled.
Live stream playback of the public interviews and a list of questions asked to each candidate are listed below (under the hashtag). For more information on the GIPS Board of Education, visit https://www.gips.org/board.
Welcome [back] to the Board, Carlos Barcenas, and thank you for your willingness to serve our students, staff, families, and community!
#WeAreGIPS
CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS (LIVE STREAM PLAYBACK):
CANDIDATE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:
- Please tell us a little about yourself. Where you grew up, where all you have attended school, occupation, family, how long have you lived in Grand Island?
- What is your vision for education in the Grand Island Public Schools district?
- What qualities, skills, or experiences have prepared you to serve as a board member?
- How would you handle the potential conflicts between you and other board members?
- What are the current challenges facing education/school boards?
- How would you handle a request or concern, if approached, by an individual or special interest group?
- Have you discussed the time commitment the Board appointment would require with your employer and your family?
- How would you handle misinformation you found on social media about a vote or policy?
- The Board of Education is generally considered a nonpartisan board. How will you ensure that your personal political views do not unduly influence your decision-making process on the Board, especially when it comes to policies that impact students, teachers, and the community?
