With current Board members Betsy Del Giacco Jay and Kelly Branigan having decided to vacate their seats on the Cooperstown Central School District Board of Education, the Cooperstown Crier reports that three candidates have stepped into the ring:

The Cooperstown Central School Board will welcome two new members after the election May 15, as both of the current board members whose terms are ending have decided not to run for reelection. Kelly Branigan will step down after 12 years on the board and Betsy Del Giacco Jay after six years.

District clerk Darlene Bennett said three people submitted petitions for the two open spots.

They are Paula Greene, Mary Leonard and Matthew Tabor.

From what I hear, that last one’s a pretty handsome guy.

I’d like to thank Mrs. Branigan and Ms. Jay for their service to the Board over the years. Few people are willing to devote so much time without the promise of remuneration or recognition.

In “Change Will Be Good for Board,” The Crier’s editorial staff weighed in today with some thoughts on what this election really means:

We were glad last week to learn that three new candidates are running for two open seats on the Cooperstown Central School Board of Education.

That’s not to imply we had problems with the two outgoing members, Kelly Branigan and Betsy Del Giacco Jay. Branigan put in 12 years of dedicated service and Jay spent six years on the board.

We thank both for the time and energy they spent helping to improve our children’s educational experience and hope they’ll continue to contribute.

No, we’re glad to see the new candidates because of what it says about the community.

The editorial continues by recalling a tumultuous year in which residents - and, as the editors admit, even the local media - have questioned some of the District’s decisions.

They’ve missed a key point, though. The remarkable aspect of the three candidates is not just that we stepped forward to contend for a difficult job, but that we’ve done so out of a genuine desire to serve the District. Usually when there is a period of contention in public education, angst-ridden residents trumpet their gripes and groom their pet issues for an assault on the system. From what I can tell, there are no such vendettas or personal agendas in this race - and that is refreshing.

Other local Districts, like Charlotte Valley Central School and Unatego Central School, are overflowing with challengers. In contrast, the Oneonta City School District’s incumbents appear to keep their seats safe.

As the election nears - it is May 15th - I will give attention to issues relevant to the Cooperstown Central School District, including analysis of the proposed Capital Project and the 2007-2008 Budget. In a few days I will have a tab on the site on which all of this information will be aggregated and readily available. Readers who aren’t from the District or Upstate New York will still find the analysis both interesting and informative; most all issues facing public schools are highly relevant to all districts.

The mailing list for this site has grown over the last two months - if you haven’t added your e-mail address to the list, you can do so in the box at the top left of the site [or, if you’re reading this post’s individual page, you’ll also see a box at the end of the post]. I will send news and updates with greater frequency over the next few weeks.

As always, District residents can e-mail me at mktabor@gmail.com with any questions about the May 15th election or my views on the school budget or the Capital Project and I will respond promptly. You can also call my office phone at 607.547.1968 or my cell phone at 607.435.8354. Accountability and accessibility are key elements in public education.

I would like to wish all candidates in school board elections near and far the best throughout the process. I look forward to hearing from as many residents as possible and networking with school board candidates in different parts of the country.