School Board Retains Leadership, Swears In Election Victors At Reorganization

Ardaman Singh, the Board of Education’s newest member, takes the oath of office at the Jan. 5 reorganization meeting. Looking on are school board members Nancy LaCorte, left, and Christine Danielsen, incumbents who were also sworn in for their new terms.

The Board of Education welcomed one new member and retained its leadership at the Jan. 5 reorganization meeting.

The board for the third consecutive year voted in Ed Potosnak as president and Nancy LaCorte as vice president.

Newly elected board member Ardaman Singh was sworn in, as were LaCorte and Danielsen, the other two winners in the November election.

While the LaCorte vote was unanimous, there was some minor – but not unexpected – dissent on the president’s vote.

Board member Pat Stanley nominated LaCorte for the president’s seat. Stanley in the summer of 2015 called for Potosnak to resign as president because of comments he made at the 2015 Franklin High School graduation.

Potosnak, who is gay, spoke in his speech about the “historic civil rights decision” legalizing same-sex marriage that was issued earlier that day by the U.S. Supreme Court.

He said the decision is one “that is deeply personal for me, for my family, so today, your graduation is extra special to me.”

Stanley charged that Potosnak “hijacked” the graduation and took the focus away from the students.

Stanley at the Jan. 5 meeting nominated LaCorte for president, and board member Christine Danielsen nominated Potosnak.

When it came time to vote for president, Stanley was the only person who cast her ballot for LaCorte; even LaCorte voted for Potosnak.

That was a switch from last year, when Stanley simply abstained on the president’s vote.

Potosnak said he was “very honored” to have been chosen president again.

“We have done amazing work together,” he said.

Potosnak said the board was mired when he was first selected to fill an unexpired term, but that the board has “moved way beyond those days and is so much more productive.”

His election, he said, “signifies the togetherness of the individual board members.”

Singh said she was “really humbled” as assuming her seat on the board.

“I really hope that I can truly do what I have been doing all these years as a parent, and I can do the same thing on this side of the room starting today,” she said.

John Felix, who worked with Singh on the district PTO leadership council, said her “addition to the board is a significant milestone, not only for your continued advocacy, but for your community as a whole.”

“It pleases me deeply that you have been elected,” he said.

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