HILLTOWNS — Berne-Knox-Westerlo has not seen a contested school board election since 2019, and this year is no exception, with incumbent Lisa Joslin seeking another term after first joining the board in 2021.

Joslin, who’s from Westerlo, had replaced Randy Bashwinger, of Berne, after he decided not to run again. Joslin told The Enterprise this week that it “wasn’t a hard decision” to go for a second term.

“The past 3 years have been a season of personal growth for me,” she wrote in an email. “I have learned so much about our school district (beyond what I see as a parent of twins in the district). It has been a privilege to sit with a group of people (the other 4 members of the Board and our Superintendent and Administrators) who have a clear vision for our school and community.  

“Each of us brings a perspective to the group that allows for in-depth discussions and critical thinking. We work well together and respect each other; even when we have to make difficult decisions and may not agree, we are able to find common ground to move forward.”

The district has had mostly smooth sailing the past several years, despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the kinds of cultural battles that have led to heated contests in other districts. Although there were threats to BKW’s funding as a result of Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposal earlier this year to remove the hold-harmless clause that prevents BKW from seeing a reduction in state aid because of declining enrollment, that concern has been sidestepped for now under the state’s final budget. 

The same day that nominating petitions were due for school board candidates, the BKW board of education voted to accept a budget that preserved programming and, despite an initial proposal to cut it, maintained the school resource officer position. Joslin reiterated her support for that decision in her email.

“The SRO works in the classrooms and brings valuable education to our students in both the elementary and secondary school; at the same time providing a safety presence when things happen in the community,” she wrote. “The safety of our students is a priority for me and as a first responder, the SRO program is an important part of the school community.”

Looking back on the board’s recent successes, Joslin wrote, “I hope we can continue to grow our programming, start the process of planning much-needed repairs to our transportation facility, and continue to be a voice of advocacy for rural districts and our students.”

She went on about the district’s Future Farmers of America program, “It has been a great pleasure to be able to send our FFA students off to the National Convention and listen to their presentations of what they learned and their appreciation of the opportunities they have at BKW.  

“I hope to see our focus on music and arts grow. The musical was brought back in the 2022-2023 school year and provides the opportunity for our students to step outside their norm. This year I watched students who had no desire to sing or be on stage, take on roles where they had a performing part.”

District residents will cast their ballots for both the 2024 budget and Joslin’s candidacy on May 21.