At its Sept. 9 meeting, the Board unanimously appointed former 
member David Versocki to fill a vacancy. Versocki will serve from Sept. 9 until the May 2027 election. He previously served on the Board from 2018-2024. During that time he held the positions of President and Vice President, played an integral role in two capital improvement projects, helped navigate the district through the global pandemic, and chaired numerous Board committees.
In mid July, newly elected community member John Shillito informed the Board he needed to step away from his appointment to the Board of Education, citing timely personal commitments and an unexpected change of circumstances.
Per Education Law, when a Board member resigns prior to completing a full term, the Board has several options:
- Leave the position vacant until the next election, which would be May 2027.
- Hold a public election where residents cast a vote for a new Board member who would serve until May of 2027.
- Appoint an individual to hold the position until the next election in May 2027.
At its August 26 meeting, the Board unanimously agreed that leaving the position vacant was not an option they were comfortable implementing. They also were not in favor of holding a mid-year election which would take several weeks to coordinate and arrange with the county elections office, especially given the limited term of this position.
The Board asked administration to reach out to the past five former members to garner interest. Dave Versocki was available and willing to fill the short-term vacancy.
“Per past practice for the BH-BL Board of Education, when a member vacancy occurs we typically ask former Board members if they’d be interested in filling the position,” explained Board President Lisa Morse. “This is typically done due to the experience, knowledge, and training former Board members possess and, in this instance, because the seat term will only last through May of 2027.”