OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Fredonia Board of Education Vice President Lisa Fortna, left, and President Steve Johnston, right, are shown discussing term lengths at a recent Board of Education meeting.

By BRADEN CARMEN

bcarmen@observertoday.com

After more than two years have passed since the Fredonia Board of Education first began discussing reducing the term length of members of the Board, a decision has been made to reduce the length from five years to three. The Board voted 5-2 in favor of reducing term lengths for new members to three years, beginning in 2027.

The Board evaluated reduced term limits for several reasons, including a lack of interest and past commitment to the role. Several members of the Board were initially appointed to their seat to finish out the term of a member who resigned before the end of their five-year term.

In the years since the initial discussion, the Board has struggled to find members of the community interested in the role, leading to elections with very few candidates to choose from. Last year, Kevin Martin was the only candidate on the ballot running to replace Brian Aldrich. Two seats are up for election this year, and as of a week before the deadline to declare candidacy, no members of the community have directly expressed interest to the district.

Members of the Board discussed the topic at length over the course of multiple meetings two years ago before electing not to put it out to the public to decide. The topic was revisited several meetings ago, with lengthy discussion held on multiple occasions again before it came to a vote at the latest meeting.

Initially, Board President Steve Johnston was among the group of members to favor a five-year term on the Board, just as he did two years ago. Board Vice President Lisa Fortna is among those who preferred a three-year term two years ago, and remained in that corner this time, as well.

“Part of me thinks a three-year term might open the door for more folks to consider it because it doesn’t seem like such a significant commitment as the five-year term,” Fortna said.

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FREDONIA

Johnston and Aaron Marshall both changed their minds since the first discussion two years ago. Sheila Hahn said she voted in favor of the resolution reducing the term lengths from five years to three to allow for the public to make the decision, rather than the current Board.

“I think it’s properly decided by the community,” Hahn said. “People who may be interested in running in the future, would they prefer a three-year or a five-year (term)? I think that is properly in their hands.”

The two newest members of the Board, Jerry Kinney and Kevin Martin, voted against reducing the length of a Board member’s term. They each expressed concern with a shorter term because of the time it takes to become adjusted to the role. They were also concerned that a three-year term could make it easier for members to run for election with an agenda in mind.

Consistent turnover was a concern of members of the Board on both sides of the issue. Some felt that a three-year term would lead to more turnover, while others – namely Sheila Hahn – felt that members are more likely to run for a second term if the length is reduced to three years, therefore having a member aboard for six years, rather than five.

Roughly three out of every four boards across New York State have three-year terms, while almost all of the remaining boards have five-year terms, like Fredonia currently does. Courtney Gullo mapped out how a potential reduction from five years to three would impact the Board in terms of when seats are up for election in future years. Gullo stated that in her projection, no more than two seats would come up for election in the same year at any time in the near future. That was a concern of the Board two years ago when the matter was first discussed.

Now that the Board has approved the term length reduction, it will be listed on the ballot at the time of the budget vote on May 19. Voters would need to approve the reduction for it to take effect in 2027.

Two seats are up for election this year, as the terms of Gullo and Marshall are set to expire. The two seats up for election this year will be five-year terms, regardless of the results of the public vote pertaining to reducing term lengths.

Also at the recent meeting, the Board accepted the resignation of Spanish Teacher Christian Ambrosioni, effective at the end of the school year. The Board also granted permanent status of employment for Abbey Whitcher, School Secretary, effective April 28. Kathleen Cicelske and Eric Vara were approved as per diem substitutes.

Several requests were approved by the Board, as well, including summer basketball camps; a flag football chicken barbecue and food truck fundraiser; and trips including the State Trap Competition in Cicero from June 4-6; the New York Press Association Awards in Saratoga Springs from April 23-24 for the Spectator school newspaper; and the annual Quest Backpacking Expedition, including a one-day hike April 25, a two-day hike May 1-2, and a four-day hike May 13-16.

Also approved was a one-year contract renewal with Management Advisory Group, Inc., to serve as a consultant for district personnel regarding STAC and Medicaid forms. Effective July 1 through June 30, 2027, the district will pay $8,384 in total ($698.67 per month) for STAC services and $12,528 in total ($1,044 per month) for Medicaid Services.

The next regular Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28 at 6 p.m. in the High School Library.