Candice Husson, the superintendent of Minerva Central School District, was a student herself at the Olmstedville building in elementary and middle school. After college, she came back to Minerva to teach a combined fifth and sixth grade class for 16 years—all while being a varsity coach, youth in government leader and class advisor.
“I have always loved Minerva, never have wanted to leave. When the opportunity arose for me to be able to move from the classroom, I was ready to do more,” Husson said. “I love it. I still miss it. I go into classrooms as much as I can. But now I can have an impact at a greater level. I think I was ready to do that, and I knew I wanted to do it here.”
Like many small district superintendents in the park, Husson knows every individual student at Minerva, and their families, by name. Because of this, she and her teachers can work closely with students to ensure accountability—
reflecting the school’s motto: Small, personal, special.
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“They can’t hide—we know what they’re capable of,” Husson said. “It’s very difficult to not be able to put that work in, because we’re very aware of what you can do.”
She credits the willingness of her teachers to go beyond the classroom as stemming from a connection to community not found in larger areas.
“We have people who work here who really care about the kids and what they do. It’s not just a job, where we punch a time clock and then leave,” Husson said. “We’re here because we love it. We love our students.”
— By Brenne Sheehan
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This originally ran in the Sept/Oct 2025 issue of Adirondack Explorer, as part of a story about declining school enrollment. Sign up to start your subscription with the next issue.
Photo at top: Minerva Central School District’s fall 2023 school picture. Photo provided
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