Eldred board of education seat up for grabs

Eldred School depends on write-in candidates for empty board seat

By KIMBERLY M. WEYANDT

ELDRED, NY — School districts across the state scramble with final preparations as the countdown to the vote on budgets and board of education members nears an end. Board members reluctantly let go of the budgets that have consumed every hour of their lives for the last few months, and hope they did all they could to make the budget what every voter hopes it to be. In everywhere but Eldred, voters shuffle through the list of new candidates to decide which deserves the empty seat(s) on the board. In Eldred there are no candidates.

In order to become a candidate for the school board, a community member must get the signatures of 25 residents and send them to the district, along with an application, 30 days before the scheduled vote. In Eldred, the deadline came and went without a single application, leaving an empty seat on the districts five seat board.

The empty seat belonged to Stephan Glasser, 63, widower of Marsha Hunter. He was elected last year to complete the last year of Hunter’s term. Hunter had been a member of the school board for nine years until she died unexpectedly in February of 2005.

Hunter and Glasser first became involved with the school board after the graduation of their son, Seth, in 1998. Seth graduated with a 60 percent scholarship to Skidmore University in Saratoga where he is now a fourth year surgical veterinary student.

“The school did a fantastic job with our son,” said Glasser. “We felt that we owed the district a debt.”

After completing his wife’s tenth year on the board, Glasser decided that they had fulfilled their obligation.

“It’s a five-year commitment and I’m retired,” said Glasser. “I was thinking about moving out of the area or closing the house for a while and going somewhere warm, like a snowbird.”

According to district policy, at least three board members must be present to allow district business to take place. With Glasser’s term expiring and no current candidates, the district is left with only four members. This means two board members can never be out at the same time.

“The seat must be filled,” said Eldred School District Superintendent Ivan Katz. Although law does not allow any last minute candidates, there is an opportunity for the community to write in a candidate. The candidate with the most write-in votes would become the new school board member, provided he or she accepted the position.

If there aren’t any write-ins or the person elected decides not to accept the position, the board can appoint a community member to fill the seat until holding a special election.

Who should run for the school board?

“A few interested people, parents with students in the school who want to help control their child’s destiny in the school,” said Glasser, “someone who can make the five-year commitment.”