Meet the Candidates is a new forum designed to shine a spotlight on the people who are running for local government seats in the upcoming Nov. 3 election. We will ask each candidate the same set of questions and provide an overview of their responses. We hope that by focusing on each contested seat, we can showcase each candidate, providing information that may be helpful when making your selection at the voting booth. The first set of candidates are running for Eureka County School Board Trustee Seat 2A.
Melynda Todd
I had the opportunity to sit down with Melynda Todd to get to know her better.
Tell me a little about yourself:
Melynda was raised in Lund, NV. After graduation, she moved to Virginia where she attended Bridgewater College for two years, then went to Southern Virginia University and finished her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science. She hoped to work in the field of prosthetics and orthotics but life brought her back to Nevada. She has worked at Mt. Wheeler Power for nine years and has been a mom for three years, which she says is the “best job in the world.” She has coached for about five years, and loves it, coaching high school basketball and junior high volleyball.
What brought you to Eureka, and when did you move here?
Melynda said that she moved here because of Michael Todd. They fell in love and moved to Eureka in 2016. They got married in 2022.
Why do you want to join the school board?
“I want to make an impact for the future. And I think being involved is really important for that and important for my family.”
What experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board trustee?
“I think my willingness to listen and learn, to ask questions, look at the bigger picture, be involved, and know the importance of the school district and the school system for the kids. And really serving the community. I also served on a union negotiation committee, this year for our union contract with Mt. Wheeler Power, and I actually we really enjoyed that.”
What are three top issues facing the Eureka County School Board and education currently, and what is your plan to address them?
Melynda said that she does not have a plan for addressing these issues but she would work with the board when designing a plan. She stated that the top issues would be financial issues and the legislation changes going on. She also realized that student population is going down, which is a concern. Then the expansion of Eureka in the 5 to 10 years may be huge, and if that’s true making changes for the future needs to happen now.
Can you explain what the school funding formula is and how the district receives its money? Melynda is aware that the schools are funded per pupil and that the Governor recently stepped in with an emergency funding order.
Is there anything you would like to add that wasn’t covered in the questions?
“I think we have an incredible school system. Five-star educational ranking and the highest in the state is something to be very proud of. I want to make sure that continues and I would love to serve the board and be a part of that impact. I think we have a great board. The board members that are on there now have done a great job, and put in a lot of work, too, make it what it is, and past board members, as well. I think my generation needs to be evolved. I think, generationally, you see a lot of the older generation being very involved. I think the younger generation, as far as myself really, needs to be involved and start to foresee the changes that might be happening and serve the community in some ways for the betterment and not to lose the sight of what makes Eureka great. Another thought I had was that everyone in Eureka thinks of revenue, revenue, revenue, as far as mining, as far as tourism, what brings in county revenue and I think there's something far better than that. It is our school. I think our school is the pinnacle and maybe the center of all that. I don't want to lose sight of that either. I think our school is very, very important and there's only one reason we're 5-star school.”
Brenna Rogne
Brenna Rogne is running for School Board Trustee Seat 2A. Although she was not available for an interview, she did provide some information about herself and why she is running for School Board. Brenna is not actively campaigning for this position and she thinks her opponent, Melynda, is a wonderful person. Brenna’s number one priority is to contribute to student success, both in academics and sports. She acknowledges that the Eureka County School District is already a very strong educational system. She sees her involvement on the board would allow her the opportunity to give back to the community and to the students she cares so deeply about. She realizes she may have a different outlook than those who are already seated, so she would be able to add another perspective. Her intent is to serve the students and their families, support the educators, and represent the community to the best of her ability.
