Southeast Local Schools Board of Education may fill a recent vacancy and name its fifth member as early as Wednesday evening, Jan. 15.
During a Jan. 13 organizational and special meeting, board members Frank Voss, John Danes, Mary Kaley and Erin Ahrens received a petition signed by community members who support former board member Kevin Werschey.
He – and fellow candidates James Novak, Katie Pahls and Danielle Buckner – are hoping to fill the board seat recently vacated by Dave Fesemyer.
Thanking community members who signed the petition, Werschey acknowledged that though some board members may not like him, his commitment to the district’s youth is unwavering.
Among other accomplishments, Werschey said he had advocated introducing trades education to middle school children and had pushed for two school board meetings a month to minimize action delays.
“I’m asking the board to do the right thing,” Werschey said. “I miss being on the board. I miss helping these kids.”
Novak, a lifelong Southeast resident and current district substitute teacher, said he has no agenda or grudges.
“I just want to continue the path Southeast is on,” he said. “They say, ‘Once a Pirate, always a Pirate.’ I’d like to continue that on, and be a part of it.”
The board also heard from Pahls, who described herself as an alumna, local business owner and member of multiple local boards.
A Charlestown resident and active in that community, Pahls said she has “no real idea of what the dynamic is” in Southeast schools but looks forward to the opportunity to serve it.
Buckner introduced herself as president of the Southeast Middle School PTO and a member of other district boards.
“I’ve kind of sat back and watched for years as my kids were growing, and I didn’t have the time to make a commitment, to say that I could 100% be somewhere Tuesdays at 6, but I have that time now,” she said.
Echoing Novack, Buckner said she has no agenda and no strong feelings about anyone currently on the board.
“I can promise to bring a common sense approach. I can promise to always be honest and to make sure that every vote that I work to give for or against will do nothing but benefit these kids and our staff and our teachers,” she said.
Candidate Jessica Nething did not appear before the board, which will interview all candidates in closed session prior to its Jan. 15 meeting. Referencing rumors that the board pre-selects the winning candidates and provides them with interview questions ahead of time, Voss suggested providing all the candidates with those questions.
“That’s a consistent rumor, and I don’t have any way to verify that or not verify that, but it’s the rumor that I’ve consistently heard,” he said.
Other board members disagreed, with Ahrens saying it is enough that the public at this time knows who the candidates are.
This year’s school board president will be Ahrens. Danes will continue in the role of vice president. Kaley will serve as the board’s legislative liaison, while Ahrens will serve as the student achievement liaison, though Voss said the district’s Positive Pirate designation duplicates the latter position.
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.