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Board debate over filling vacant seat ends with failed appointment; motion to appoint Middleton loses 3‑4
Summary
After an extended discussion about whether to fill a vacant Board of Education seat by appointment, special election or leave it vacant, a motion to appoint Erica Middleton failed on a 3‑4 roll call at the Kingston City School District Board meeting.
The Kingston City School District Board of Education debated how to fill a vacant trustee seat—options discussed were leaving the seat vacant, holding a special election (which a trustee estimated would cost about $12,000) or appointing a successor. After public and trustee comment and more than an hour of discussion, a motion to appoint Erica Middleton failed on a roll‑call vote: three trustees voted yes and four voted no.
Discussion points included governance and precedent. Trustee Ryder said he preferred leaving the seat vacant rather than appointing, and said a special election was not wise in the circumstances: “My second preference would have been to have an actual election,” he said. Trustee Fitzpatrick argued the board should fill the seat to ensure broader representation. Trustee Spicer said the community had requested a nine‑member board and that appointing the fourth vote‑getter honored the voters. Trustee Collins said she would prefer the board appoint the next vote‑getter if the board chose to fill the seat; she expressed concern about the practical learning curve for someone appointed for less than a year.
At the vote, the clerk recorded: Mister Lamb — No; Mister Fitzpatrick — Yes; Miss Corzones — No; Mister Ryder — No; Miss Anderson — No; Doctor Collins — Yes; Mister Spicer — Yes. That produced three yeses and four nos; the motion therefore failed.
Trustees also noted they have up to 90 days from the vacancy date to act and discussed waiting for a fuller board membership (several trustees asked that newly elected member Kearns be present to weigh in). Several trustees cited prior occasions where appointments had or had not followed the next‑highest vote‑getter and noted the board has discretion about how to proceed.
No appointment occurred at the meeting; trustees left the seat vacant pending further discussion and potential future action.
Sources: trustee remarks and clerk’s roll call during the Kingston City School District Board of Education meeting (transcript excerpts).
