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SLCSD seeks board members to fill vacancy

SARANAC LAKE — The Saranac Lake Board of Education is seeking a new member after its president resigned last month. The board is currently accepting letters of interest from people pursuing a seat at the seven-member board table and will vote on who to appoint to the position at its next meeting on Dec. 21.

Former board President Aurora White resigned on Nov. 16 during a board meeting, saying she had learned that she had “lost the faith” of several board members following a “contentious” executive session in October.

She said this board meeting left her “sick” to her stomach by the actions of the district and the reaction of the rest of the board. But she would not reveal what happened in that meeting because it took place in a closed-door executive session. White also said she would not talk about it in either case because she believes the people involved deserve privacy. The reason for the executive session was to discuss the “personal assignment of a particular employee to a specific individual.”

On Nov. 16, the board chose then-Vice President Mark Farmer to fill the seat, and unanimously elected him as president after an executive session. The board still had to elect a new vice-president. On Wednesday, board member Justin Garwood nominated Nancy Bernstein. Bernstein nominated Garwood. The vote for Bernstein to be the vice-president was unanimous.

“I’m thrilled. Nancy’s a hard worker,” Farmer said on Thursday.

Farmer and Bernstein will be the board president and vice-president through the rest of the school year. In July, when the board holds its organizational meeting, its members will reevaluate who will lead the board.

The board had a few options to fill the vacant seat on Wednesday. They decided to not hold a special election because elections can be costly. They require ballot machines, election workers and planning. The board opted to appoint someone instead.

The board could select someone from the list of candidates who ran in the last election. With four candidates running for three seats in that election, Paul Herrmann fell short of earning a seat.

The board could also choose someone, or they could solicit applications from people wanting to join the board and choose from that pool. This is the route the board chose.

Garwood liked the idea of putting out a call for applicants again and the rest of the board agreed.

SLCSD Superintendent Diane Fox said applicants for the board seat should submit a letter of interest with background information and reasons for wishing to be on the board.

The deadline to submit applications is before the Dec. 21 meeting in two weeks, Farmer said. He said Fox will put out an ad for the position soon and anyone with questions should contact Fox’s office.

The person who is appointed will serve until the next election in May. Whoever wins election to the seat in May will serve out the last year of the term.

Farmer said this allows someone to try the position out in the short-term to make sure they want to pursue a full term.

Board member Tori Thurston said that trial period opportunity is what got her interested in being on the board. Though she wasn’t appointed for that trial period, she ran in the following election and won.

The board still had the letter seeking applicants from the last time they needed to fill a vacancy earlier this year.

In January, when Jeremy Evans stepped down, a school board election was approaching. Nine people sought the temporary seat, and they’d have to run again in the upcoming election to keep their seat. The board chose to appoint Clyde Baker because he had pledged to only serve in the gap until the election. The board had wanted to not show preference in the election, so they picked him because he promised to not run.

But that was a one-off chance occurrence.

“I don’t think Clyde’s walking through that door again,” Garwood said.

When Jeff Branch stepped down from the board in October 2021, the board was only five months out from its last election. Zach Randolph had run in that election but fallen short of getting more votes than the other three contenders for three open seats. The board appointed Randolph to serve the rest of Branch’s term.

White served on the board’s technology, labor relations, audit, safety and school business executive committees. On Wednesday, board members volunteered to fill the seats on these committees.

Thurston said she is interested in labor, so she volunteered for that committee. Farmer said labor relations is the “most pressing” committee. Its work with the unions starts up soon and it is “intense work,” he said.

Farmer volunteered for school business executive committee. Randolph volunteered for the safety committee. Thurston also volunteered for the technology committee. All members of the board are on the audit committee.

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