When it came time to vote in officers for the Oxford Board of Education, president and vice president nominations were met with opposition.
Trustee Robert Martin cast the lone dissenting vote against nominee Colleen Schultz as president, and nominee Carol Mitchell as vice president which both passed on 4-1-1 votes. Both Schultz and Mitchell abstained from voting for their positions, while Trustee Bill Keenist was absent.
‘Colleen and Carol, I apologize for having to vote against your nominations, but I’ve been uncomfortable with this nominating process since I’ve came on the board,? Martin said at the end of the Jan. 8 board meeting. ‘I don’t like the process and think we should look at changing it.?
The passing votes marks Schultz’s ninth year as board president out of 17 years on the board and Mitchell’s third year as vice president out of 12 years on the board
In his fifth year on the board, Martin told this reporter he has ‘never liked the process.?
‘I don’t know how all other boards do it, but it seems like (with this board) the first one who gets their hand in the air that’s the nomination that goes through and I don’t think that’s fair,? he said. ‘I don’t think that’s good for the board or good for the district.?
‘I think we as a board should discuss (the policy) and see if indeed that is the best way and if the board does than we’ll continue it (as we’ve done in the past,) he added. ‘If they don’t and they think we should improve on the process than hopefully we change it.?
Martin said they are ‘one of the few districts that don’t rotate positions.?
‘Many of them do it annually, but all of them do it periodically,? he said. ‘I think that helps keeps the district a little more lively and brings new ideas to the floor and I think it helps develop leadership throughout the entire board.?
Schultz told this reporter that discussing the process is ‘probably a good idea,? but also was ‘taken back? that Martin didn’t say anything before the nominations.
‘Somebody’s got to be nominated and if you don’t want the person whose nominated you just vote against it. If the majority of the board didn’t want somebody to serve as an officer and it has happened before when I’ve been on the board either it doesn’t get a second which fails due to lack of support or one time someone was nominated and declined the position,? she said. ‘I guess that’s the beauty of parliamentary procedure.?
As far as rotating positions, other than the president seat, Schultz said other officer’s positions have changed a lot in her time on the board.
‘When I originally took the presidency the first time I said ‘yeah I’ll do this but I think we should change this in about 3-5 years,? she added. ‘Then things were sort of moving along, but it took me awhile to get comfortable running a meeting and then I sort of just stayed on as the president and the board continued to ask me to serve and I was more than willing to serve.?
With this being her last year on the board with no plans of re-running, Schultz said she was ‘honored? to be nominated as president once more. ‘I am looking forward to another great year,? she noted.
Martin had hopes of nominating Trustee Kim Shumaker as president.
‘I think Kim would make a very good president and hopefully one day she’ll be in that role,? he said. ‘She is very involved in the district, very respected by our teachers and staff and she’s intelligent, strong and she definitely has the best interest of the district at heart.?
‘Not that any other board members don’t,? continued Martin. ‘I just think Kim is very qualified to be president and Colleen has been in that role for a long time as she says it will be her last year. I can understand her wanting to go out on that position, but I’m just not sure holding onto a position is the best for the district.?
Trustee Jim Reis was elected secretary, Trustee Dan D’Alessandro as treasurer and Keenist as board spokesman.
Four board seats are up for election in November. They’re currently occupied by Schultz, Martin, Shumaker and Keenist.