Oxford School board kicked off their first meeting of the New Year with the swearing in of newly elected members Joyce Brasington, Mike Schweig, Mark Stepek and incumbent Kim Shumaker, followed by the nomination of officers.
However, the nomination process didn’t come without a little adversity. First up was the president. Both Jim Reis and Shumaker we’re thrown into the ring. Vice President Carol Mitchell asked if they wanted to do roll-call, but Schweig was quick to point out that the board’s policy calls for a vote by ballot.
‘No we can do it any way we want to do it,? Mitchell said. ‘We’ve never done a ballot.?
‘I’m just saying that’s what our policy says. The policy says it’s by ballot,? Schweig responded. ‘Why wouldn’t we go by our policy??
In her 12 years on the board, Mitchell said they’ve never done a ballot.
‘Well then maybe, somebody should have read the policy,? Schweig added.
According to the policy, which was read by Reis, ‘Election of Officers shall be by majority of the full-board where no such majority exists on the first ballot vote, a second vote shall be cast for two candidates for the greatest number of ballot votes.?
After reading the policy Reis saw the need to possibly change it in the future.
‘If we’re going to do it this way (ballot vote and then announce who voted what) than I think we ought to change the policy. It just seems like a ridiculous formality. It’s a redundant situation,? he added. ‘If we were going to have a secret ballot maybe I could see that.?
After working out the kinks of the process, it was time to vote. Reis was named board president on a 4-3 vote. Brasington, Schweig and Shumaker voted ‘no.?
Mitchell was re-elected vice president on a 6-1 vote. Brasington was opposed. Dan D’Alessandro was re-elected to board treasurer unanimously.
Next up was the ‘board’s spokesperson.?
The spokesperson ‘works with the communications director and come up with responses to things that happen in the district and create a response of the entire board, but it would be handled by one person and by crafting those releases to the media,? according to Reis.
‘It’s (a) pretty important (position),? Mitchell added. ‘Mark is an attorney and I was wondering if Mark would be willing to do that. I know we had Bill Keenist before, but that was his profession and he was very good.?
Stepek agreed to the nomination. Schweig was also named a nominee for the position, but Stepek won on a 4-3 vote. Shumaker, Brasington and Schweig voted ‘no.?
Superintendent Dr. William Skilling noted that the board spokesman response to difficult questions sometimes fielded by the media is supposed to be a representation of the board as whole.
‘It’s really good to have one spokesperson so it’s a unified message and we’re not putting out three or four different messages,? Skilling added.
Lastly Schweig received a unanimous vote to be the board’s parliamentarian.
‘The parliamentarian helps keep the board operating under it’s rules of order that are established by the bylaws,? explained Skilling.
Stepek and Schweig also were placed on the Policy Committee, which includes the Superintendent’s Administrative Assistant Pat Bono, sitting in on the meetings.
‘We meet when necessary,? Bono said.