Margaret Smith of Scotia will continue as the Scotia-Glenville Central School District’s Board of Education president for at least another term.
Smith, who begins her fifth term as president, defeated Ben Conlon in a 4-to-3 vote.
At the Monday, July 14, meeting, the board also elected Gary Normington as vice president. Normington will replace Pam Carbone, who lost to Normington in a 5-to-2 vote.
Smith said she looks forward to leading the board through the building proposition this fall, which will likely be the biggest project for the 2008-2009 school year.
I think the biggest thing that I would like to accomplish this term is a successful building project. Many of the items need to be addressed, especially the fields, said Smith.
Smith said she made the decision to run for president because she feels her experience will help alleviate issues that sometimes arise with building propositions, especially when the public has concerns.
`I decided to run for president again because this is going to be an important year for the board and the community, and I feel that my experience as president will be helpful. I served on the board during our last project, so I know all of the work that is involved,` said Smith.
She said one the biggest changes over the past five years is the number of mandates schools are now required to meet. She said balancing those with the necessary funding is often a challenge. She also added that working with members who have come and gone also is an adjustment for the board, but one she feels is often beneficial.
`I have also worked with new board members over the past few years, which brings a new perspective to the board,` said Smith.
Superintendent Susan Swartz said she has a good working relationship with Smith and looks forward to having her serve as president for another one-year term.
Normington has now served on the board for two years and is new to the role of vice president.
`There are two main reasons I decided to seek the VP spot on the board. One, I hope to be a long-term member of the board, and this will be a stepping stone for me to get more involved in the day-to-day operations of the board and more exposure to it. The other is the building project. We need to push this along and really keep in mind what we need for our students and what the community’s needs and desires are,` said Normington.
Normington said the board knows from community forums that district residents expect the building project to be a priority in the fall.
`I want to be able to help push this project along. Improving athletic fields was a priority topic during the first meeting to get comment on a proposed building project,` said Normington.
The district will hold a public vote in the fall over the $12.7 million building proposition and athletic field.“
