By Noelle Kronberg
EAGLE TIMES EDUCATION CORRESPONDENT
CLAREMONT, N.H. — The Claremont School Board has chosen longtime city resident Candace Crawford to fill the vacancy left by Steven Horsky.
Crawford will fill the board position for the remainder of Horsky’s term, ending in March. She was elected on a 4 to 2 vote during Wednesday’s meeting.
After Horsky’s resignation, the board advertised the vacancy and candidates submitted letters of interest, met with board members and three candidates came forward Wednesday to each give a 5 minute response to questions provided ahead of time.
School board chair Heather Whitney explained the policy governing the selection of a replacement member, as well as her frustration with the policy, saying, “we don’t want to do something that we think the voters should do.”
Crawford retired as Chief Financial Officer of Claremont Savings Bank in 2011. She currently serves on the Claremont Economic Development Committee and chairs its Financial Committee. She pointed out that she has extensive finance and budget experience.
“Horsky had this knowledge and the board needs to fill that gap,” said Crawford, who said she has been attending board meetings for two years and would need little in the way of onboarding.
This will not be Crawford’s first time sitting on the school board, having served from 1991-2002. During that time, the Sugar River Valley Regional Technical Center opened. Crawford has remained passionate about the program and currently serves on its Visioning Committee. Speaking to the board, she said the tech center is a “key part of education in Claremont” and a “financial driver.”
The Technical Center was a central talking point for all three candidates. Candidate David Bailey pointed out that many of Claremont’s graduates do not go on to college and the center is critical in providing successful career paths for those students. Candidate Kevin Tyson, a member of the Claremont Community Television board, emphasized his belief in a need for multi-faceted education and non-traditional education options for students.
Board member Bonnie Miles nominated Crawford to fill the vacancy due to her experience on the board, other committees and in finance.
All board members expressed their gratitude towards all three candidates for their interest and their passion for education in Claremont. Whitney stated that she wanted to be cautious with this process because she did not want anyone to be discouraged from applying in the future.
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