Posted March 17, 2008

BURNT HILLS: Three of the seven seats on the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Board of Education will be up for election on May 20 this year, and all three incumbents — John Blowers, Nancy Della Pia, and Joe Pericone — have announced they are seeking re-election.
 

Other BH-BL residents interested in running for the school board should pick up a petition from Jacqueline St. Onge, Clerk of the Board, at the district business office in the Hostetter Building, 50 Cypress Drive, Glenville, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The petition must be filed with the signatures of 41 district voters by 5:00 pm on Monday, April 21.

State law requires that school board candidates be age 18 or older, registered to vote, a district resident for at least one year, able to read and write in English, not a district employee, and not residing in the same household as another board member.

BH-BL school board members serve at large for no pay. The three candidates who receive the highest number of votes on May 20 will all be elected to three-year terms of office.

The seven members of the BH-BL board attend meetings on most Tuesday evenings during the school year.

John Blowers of Beechwood Avenue, Charlton, was elected to a one-year term on the board last May to complete the term of another member who resigned. He is himself a BH-BL graduate and has served as a General Electric human resources manager for 11 years. A Little League coach and novelist, he is also active in Junior Achievement and the Charlton Freehold Presbyterian Church. Mr. Blowers has three young children. He is currently the board’s liaison with the high school PTSA and responsible for staff relations and policy development for the Board.

Nancy Della Pia has served on the school board for three years. She has three college- and school-aged sons and lives on Edgewood Drive in Burnt Hills. A trained nurse and former Stevens School PTA president, she has been especially active in lobbying our legislators in Albany about the impact of various proposals on BH-BL. This year Ms. Della Pia is the school board's vice president and is chairing the budget development process.

Joe Pericone of St. Stephens Lane, Glenville, was elected to a one-year term on the board last May to complete the term of another member who resigned. A father of two BH-BL graduates and two current pupils, he has worked at General Electric for 29 years as a mechanical engineer and trainer. A former soccer coach, he helped develop the Pathways program that brings secondary pupils to the GE Learning Center for hands-on engineering lessons. Mr. Pericone is currently leading the board’s legislation and student relations efforts and serving as liaison with the Charlton Heights Elementary PTA.

Residents with questions about running for the Board are welcome to call current Board members, the Clerk of the Board's office at 399-9141, ext. 5025, or Communications Specialist Christy Multer at 399-9141, ext. 5017.

For more information on Board duties and meetings, see the Quickview buttons above right.