Retired education administrator Curtis W. Young of Roanoke Rapids filed earlier this week for a seat on the Halifax County Schools Board of Education.

An alumnus of Halifax County Schools — Northwest Halifax Class of 1978 — Young believes he is uniquely qualified to serve as a board member given his nearly four decades of experience in public education.

“My experiences range from being a classroom teacher for students with special needs to department chair for my school. After serving as an elementary, middle and high school classroom teacher for 18 years, I was selected to serve as an administrative assistant to the principal while completing my master’s degree in educational leadership,” he said in a statement. “Upon completion of my graduate degree, I was appointed as an elementary school assistant principal. Following that initial administrative appointment, I served as a high school assistant principal and an elementary school principal.”

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Young cited that one of his elementary appointments was for a Pre-kindergarten through fourth grade school with an enrollment of 1,230 and over 110 staff members. 

After serving as a school administrator for over 14 years, he assumed the position of his district’s director of administrative services for the next eight years until his recent retirement.

“My experience as director of administrative services covered nearly all aspects of administrative responsibilities for the school district,” he said.

Young’s platform includes:

Higher academic standards for all students

Providing a safe and orderly environment for teachers to teach and students to learn

Ensuring better teacher/staff retention by providing more competitive salaries than others in the region

Better working conditions for all staff

Increasing parent involvement in the educational process

Young’s civic involvement includes stints on the Roanoke Rapids Recreation Advisory Committee, Halifax County Planning Board, and as secretary/treasurer of Roanoke Rapids Precinct 9 for the Halifax County Democratic Party. 

He currently serves as chairman of Roanoke Rapids Precinct 7 and 9, the county’s largest precinct. 

He has actively worked with Relay For Life of the Roanoke Valley for over 20 years, as a board member of the Southside Virginia Education Board, and as a member of the Northwest Alumni Old School Association.

Young attends Quankey Missionary Baptist Church where he is an ordained deacon. 

His roles there have included president of the Laymen League, member of the Board of Trustees, Vacation Bible School teacher, church bus driver, and facilitator for the development and implementation of the church’s safety plan.

He is married to A. Faye Young and they have two sons, Corey and Chase. All four are alumni of Halifax County Schools.