Former school counselor seeks seat on Charles City Board of Education

To The Press

A former school counselor has announced her bid for a seat on the Charles City Board of Education.

“I am running for the Charles City School Board because I believe in the future of our district and its mission to meet and serve the needs of all of our students, regardless of their background,” Kathryn Fox said in a press statement.

Fox was a counselor at Mount Vernon High School until she moved to Charles City, where her husband, Brian Fox, owns Denny’s Cabinet Shop in Brian’s home town.

“I believe it is our goal and opportunity as a district to stay competitive with neighboring school districts,” she said. “We have made immense progress in meeting our short-term goals by recognizing the strengths of our student engagement, but we need to continue to recognize and evaluate our long-term goals about ensuring the wellbeing of our staff and infrastructure and how these relate to the longevity of our district.”

Fox said she is committed to help enhance and promote the school district within Charles City and to surrounding communities “in a competitive manner while maintaining fiscal responsibility.”

There are three seats up for election in the school district election to be held Nov. 2. The current terms of Josh Mack, Scott Dight and Missy Freund are ending. Mack and Dight have not announced whether they will seek re-election, but Freund has said that she will not run for another term, so at least one board position will be taken by a new director.

Fox said she would use her skills as a former high school counselor, and currently as a federal background investigator, which rely on her abilities to listen, establish rapport and manage sensitive information.

Fox has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of St. Benedict and a master’s degree in school counseling from the University of Iowa.

“As a high school counselor, I served over 400 students at Mount Vernon High School,” she said. “I worked to see that all stakeholders, parents, teachers, administrators, have roles in creating learning opportunities and establishing valuable relationships with all students to find success.”

Fox said she and Brian became parents to their first child, a daughter, Quinn, this year.

“Now, more than ever, I see it as my opportunity to serve in an active role in shaping the future of Charles City School District, a community that my family has invested our future in,” she said.

Fox said she would work to reinforce the school district’s mission of creating an environment where children feel loved, can learn and find success beyond the walls of the schools.

“I commit to recognizing the gifts each and every person can bring to our children and make a school district we can feel proud of for the children of today and the children of tomorrow,” she said.