Fort Plain Board of Education appoints new member 

During its regular December meeting, the Fort Plain Central School Board of Education unanimously appointed James A. Petty Jr. to fill the vacant seat on the board left when Donald Yerdon stepped down in early November. Yerdon was elected to the seven-member board in 2010 and served 14 months of a three-year term.

Petty Jr. is a former board member and assumes the position immediately. He will serve on the board for the remainder of the year. During the next election on May 15, voters will elect three board members. The person who receives the third-most votes will sit on the board for a year and fill the time remaining on Yerdon’s vacated seat.

According to education law, when a board member resigns, board members have two options: They can, by majority vote, appoint someone until the next regularly scheduled election or hold a special election to fill the seat.

Superintendent Douglas C. Burton said the board chose to appoint someone temporarily because of the costs associated with an election and the difficulties a newcomer to the board might face with such a short time to become acclimated to the position.

“There are so many important issues that a board has to deal with, especially during these difficult financial times,” he said. “You don’t have time for a new person to get up to speed because they need to help during the budget-building process. A former member has all that experience behind them and knows what to expect.

“And every time there is an election, there is a cost. The board didn’t think the district needed to spend money on an election when it could appoint someone with experience.”

Mr. Burton said Yerdon resigned in November because he felt he was unable to make a difference despite his best efforts.

“Mr. Yerdon wanted to provide the best opportunities for students here and unfortunately, the state of the economy makes that difficult,” he said. “It can be frustrating to try and make changes during the current financial climate.”