Washington Elementary board elects Kyle Clayton president; Lindsey Peterson chosen vice president

The Washington Elementary School District (4260) Governing Board elected Kyle Clayton as board president and Lindsey Peterson as vice president during its Jan. 9, 2025, organizational meeting.

The board selected Clayton in a roll-call vote; the tally was four in favor and one opposed. Lindsey Peterson won the vice-presidential vote 3–2 after two nominations were placed for that office.

Why it matters: The votes complete the board’s annual organizational duties and set the leadership team that will preside over board meetings and collaborate with district administration for the coming year.

Nominations and remarks preceded both elections. A board member nominated “Jenny Abbott Bayardee” for president; that nominee declined the nomination. Board member Kyle Clayton accepted his nomination and told colleagues he had served as vice president during the prior year and had “facilitated several of our board’s meetings” while receiving feedback that improved his “preparedness, organization, and timekeeping.” Clayton said his perspective as “a dad with a fourth grader attending a public school in this district” informed his priorities and highlighted two focus areas he would pursue as president: improving student outcomes and increasing enrollment to strengthen the district. “As board president, I want to lead us down those two paths, improving academic outcomes for students, and at the same time, pushing our district to be innovative in solving the challenges presented by charter and private schools,” Clayton said.

Lindsey Peterson and Tamillia (Tamilla) Nicole were both nominated for vice president. Peterson accepted and described a shift in her personal schedule that allows her to take a more active role. “I do feel like I have the ability, the time, and the energy that I can just step up a little bit more, and I would love to serve my community in that way,” Peterson said. The board elected Peterson 3–2.

The board’s roll call at the start of the meeting recorded the following members present: Governing Board President Ginny Abbate, Vice President (before election) Kyle Clayton, board members Lindsey Peterson and Tamillia Nicole, and board member Bill Adams. Staff recorded the votes during the roll-call procedure; the meeting transcript shows the final tallies above.

What didn’t change: After the votes, the board moved on to routine business including adoption of the meeting agenda and approval of minutes.

The board adjourned the meeting at 6:22 p.m.