School Board To Vote on Move to Six-Year Terms

Board of Education will consider a motion to extend the terms of board members from four to six years when it meets tonight at 6:30 p.m. at

The meeting follows a special budget meeting slated to start at 5:30 p.m.

The board must decide how it will react to a new state law that requires board elections take place only in November and only in even-numbered years.

That leaves the board with two options. One option is to continue with four-year terms and to have elections every two years, with four seats up for grabs one year and three seats up for grabs two years later.

The other option is to shift to six year terms, and elect two, three and two board members every two years over the six year cycle.

At the March 13 meeting, Trustee David Zimmer said he supported the six-year terms.

“I think it makes more sense because it allows for more continuity,” said Zimmer, who said that changing up to four members at once could make it difficult to manage the district.

The board will consider a recommendation to approve a resolution to move from four-year to six-year terms.

If approved, the changes will be as follows:

• The terms of Chuck Lesch and Lisa Slawson expire this year. This November, those terms become six year terms.

• Amy Cattell and Craig Hoeft will see their terms extended one year so that they expire in 2014 instead of 2013. At that point, they become six year terms.

• Todd Carter’s term will expire in 2014, as expected. It will become a six year term.

• David Zimmer and David Holden will have their terms extended by one year so that they expire in 2016.