As its first order of business, the newly constituted District 65 School Board elected Katie Bailey as president of the Board, and Andy Pigozzi as vice-president of the Board. Under The Board’s policies, each will serve a one-year term.
Under the Board’s procedures, Board members who wish to serve as president of the Board are required to submit a one-page statement expressing their desire to serve as president, and explaining the reasons they want to serve as president. This year, Ms. Bailey and Jerome Summers submitted statements expressing a desire to serve.
Ms. Bailey has served on the Board for four years. She has served as chair of the Board’s Policy Committee, the Board’s Finance Committee, the Green/Sustainability Committee and co-chairs the Referendum-New School Committee.
Mr. Summers has served on the Board for six years, served as vice-president of the Board for four years and chaired the Board’s finance committee, its policy committee and is a co-chair of the Referendum-New School Committee.
Under the voting procedure, Board members were asked to vote on whether to elect Mr. Summers president first, and then to vote on whether to elect Ms. Bailey, thus allowing Board members to cast yes votes for both candidates. Two Board members, Mr. Pigozzi and Mr. Summers, voted for Mr. Summers. After Mr. Summers failed to receive a majority of four votes, six Board members – all but Mr. Summers – voted for Ms. Bailey.
In giving reasons for seeking the office, Ms. Bailey did not present an agenda that she wanted the District to pursue, but instead focused on process, and how she thought the Board should operate.
She said she believes Board meetings have been run well in the last few years. She said as Board president she would add a proposed time to spend on the agenda items, manage meetings through Roberts Rules of Order where appropriate, and continue to have Board self-evaluations.
She said she will collaborate with the superintendent and each Board member to understand their individual goals and priorities and to set a productive agenda. “I believe good working relationships among all Board members and between the Board and the Superintendent will allow us to understand perspectives that may differ and to manage conflicts and issues that will inevitably arise.”
She said she will be a positive and responsive leader to the community, will attend school and community events while always supporting Board initiatives, and “lead the Board as we set goals and as we work to reach them.”
“During the recent election campaign, I heard numerous times that the community wants a strong Board that listens, that responds, and that cares for all the students in our community,” she said. “I believe we are this Board and as Board president I will lead us over the next year while supporting our District, our teachers, our employees, our community and most important, our children.”