By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cazenovia Central School District 2020-2021 budget vote and board of education election will be conducted by absentee ballot.
All registered voters will be mailed a ballot along with a prepaid envelope to return the ballot.
Voters must be US citizens, at least 18 years old and district residents for at least 30 days.
Ballots must be returned to the district via US Postal Service or drop-off by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9, 2020. Individuals who do not receive a ballot by June 1 or are not registered to vote should contact the District Clerk at [email protected] or 315-655-1317.
The budget hearing will be held virtually on June 2, 2020 with links available on cazenoviacsd.com.
Two seats on the school board are up for election.
Leigh Baldwin is vacating his seat, while incumbent BOE President Dr. Jan Woodworth is running for reelection.
Three other candidates — Dara Harper, Meghan Kelly and Stefanie Lints — are also seeking seats on the board.
Each of the four candidates responded to the following questions from the Cazenovia Republican:
- What is your background?
- Why are you running?
- What do you see as the most important issues facing the district and how would you address them?
Their responses (300 word limit) are printed below.
School board meetings are generally held on the third Monday of each month in the Board Meeting Room located in the District Office in the Middle School. Meeting dates are listed on the district website and the school calendar.
For more information, visit cazenoviacsd.com/board-of-education.
Dara Harper
As a native of Louisville, KY, I moved to Cazenovia in 2008. My partner, Ken, and I have raised our children in Cazenovia for most of their lives. I currently work at the CNY Community Foundation in communications and event planning. Prior to that, I owned two yoga studios and have been teaching yoga for 24 years. I graduated from Bellarmine University with a bachelor’s degree in Communications. I have volunteered with Cazenovia schools, The United Way and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. I am a member of Cazenovia Call to Action.
Education is the backbone of a community and I believe that our schools are the reason that Cazenovia is tight-knit and thoughtful. As a BOE member, I will strive to uphold the current standards that have been set, as well as considering our progress and best practices for the present and future. As we assimilate new information, CCSD needs leaders who are prepared to re-imagine our options and progressively shape our schools while effectively communicating changes and highlights.
Keeping our students safe while learning is a major priority. Safety comes in many guises: protection from bullying and outside threats, mental health awareness, and now physical safety during a pandemic. Continuing and enhancing the current safety and mental health plans will be of the utmost importance; investing in ways to create no-touch and low-touch environments will also play a role in creating a healthy physical environment.
Effective communication is a must. Staying in touch virtually and in-person will require a multitude of resources. Virtual meetings and class plans must be in place for this and future crises. I would propose finding and vetting a central and preferred communication bundle that would ease the burden for both students and teachers.
For more information, visit facebook.com/DaraHarperforBOE/ or email [email protected].
Meghan Kelly
My name is Meghan Kelly and I am excited to be running for a seat on the CSD’s School Board. My family and I have lived in Cazenovia for ten years and this coming fall, we will have one child in Burton Street Elementary, one in Cazenovia Middle School and one in Cazenovia High School.
My past work experience includes several positions in human resources across varying industries, such as banking, higher education and childhood services. My passion for supporting educators was first sparked when I was the HR director for an organization that provided Early Intervention and preschool services to young children.
In Cazenovia, I have served as a board member and Chairperson of Cazenovia Community Preschool and currently serve on the CYAA Basketball and Chamber of Commerce boards. I am also the proud co-owner of a local small business, Cazenovia Community Fitness. I am deeply invested in this community and believe it is our collective responsibility to ensure success for all students.
I am running for school board because I am passionate about advocating for excellence and preparedness for the future for all of our students. If elected, I will strive to be a clear voice for teachers and parents.
One of the most important issues facing our district is making sure staff members have the necessary resources to meet the needs of all students. I believe we can better use data to determine gaps, the resources to target those gaps, and the next steps for supporting students. This, in turn, can improve and align the student experience across K-12.
Second, in this moment in time, the district faces the issue of allocating resources responsibly to address the challenges of this pandemic. I believe we have to remain nimble and responsive with the budget in these unpredictable times.
Stefanie Lints
My name is Stefanie Lints and I have been an involved resident of Cazenovia, with my family, for the past 16 years. Currently, I am a 5th grade ELA teacher in the Sherburne-Earlville Central School District, and I am finishing my 20th year in the field of education. Previously, I have taught in the Solvay Union Free School District, was the director of Cazenovia Community Preschool, and was the Coordinator of the MAT (Masters of the Art in Teaching) at Colgate University.
My various positions in education have provided me with a wealth of knowledge from various perspectives, which is one of the reasons why I am running. We are about to embark on unchartered territory which will require a great deal of background knowledge, understanding the perspective of the teachers and the students, and open-mindedness in order to move forward successfully. I currently have a daughter in the middle school as well as the high school; and as a current educator, I can attest the successes and stresses of the current situation.
Our district will be facing a myriad of challenges in the fall, which will require a complete team effort from the administration, teachers, students, and community. Most importantly, defining a new normal in the classroom while potentially facing budget cuts will require extreme diligence from all involved in order to ensure that all students meet their highest potential through aligned curriculum district wide while supporting a positive mental health environment. If given the opportunity to serve on the Cazenovia BOE, I would love to be an essential part of this process.
Dr. Jan Woodworth
I have my BS, MPS and Ph.D. from Cornell University and am a professor at Oswego State University in the department of career and technical educator preparation. I’ve been at SUNY Oswego for 20 years and was a high school teacher of Agriculture prior to that. I have lived in the Cazenovia school district for almost 30 years; my husband and all three children are Cazenovia High School alumni.
I have been on the Cazenovia Board of Education for the past nine years; for the last five years I have served as BOE president. I have loved being part of the board, and feel I have been able to bring a lot of perspective as a result of my background as a teacher, teacher educator, parent and tax payer. I serve on the board of education to represent all students and all taxpayers. I have a deep interest in education and would like to continue to contribute to the positivity that surrounds the Cazenovia School District.
The Cazenovia School District is facing financial uncertainty again as a result of COVID-19 and the resulting changes we expect to see in our state aid package. We went through this several years ago, when the GEA was enacted and schools were affected negatively; we will need to work hard to find ways to make changes that will impact student opportunity and education as little as possible while still being responsible to our taxpayers. All districts are going to be looking at professional development and support of teachers and students for the need to do more on-line learning. COVID-19 has alerted us to the need to enhance and support this area more. We continue to work toward the goals set in our strategic plan and look forward to updating our progress on them.
