Saturday, May 7, 2022

HCSD Watch: A Fifth Candidate for the BOE

There are five vacancies on the Hudson City School District Board of Education, and only four people filed petitions to run for the seats: Willette Jones, Lakia Walker, Kjirsten Gustavson, and Mark DePace. That means if the five seats are to be filled in the election that takes place on May 17, there need to be some write-in candidates.

Yesterday, Ọṣun Zotique announced on Facebook a run for school board as a write-in candidate.  




Two of the current members of the Board of Education, Selha Graham and Mark DePace, were elected as write-in candidates in 2021. Graham won by 81 votes, DePace by 80. DePace, whose term expires at the end of June, is now seeking reelection to the school board.
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11 comments:

  1. R. RasnerMay 7, 2022 at 1:14 PM

    Does candidate Osun Zotique have a website, or, any bio info that might let voters know of experience they bring in managing a $54 million budget? Or, any other related management experience?

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    1. Carole OsterinkMay 7, 2022 at 2:16 PM

      Expecting a website from a write-in candidate eleven days before the election may be too much, but here are the links to his LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmartin22/ and his curriculum vitae https://sunybuffalo.academia.edu/OsunZotique/CurriculumVitae--somewhat more information than is available about the other four candidates.

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    2. R. RasnerMay 7, 2022 at 3:04 PM

      Thank you Carole

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  2. PeteMay 7, 2022 at 1:21 PM

    Congrats Ọṣun. We actually me at the copy machines in Saples the other day. I earned a place on the board in 2012 with 92 write-in votes. Best of luck. --peter meyer

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    1. PeteMay 7, 2022 at 4:07 PM

      Sorry for the typos... we MET at Staples

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    2. 0May 9, 2022 at 10:48 AM

      I remember you! Gotta love the Staples. Thanks for your support and congratulations. Can't wait to see the turnout for this historic race seeing as I am the first openly trans nonbinary individual to seek Columbia County office.

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  3. KDMay 7, 2022 at 2:41 PM

    My two children had Osun as an elementary school music teacher and theater director at a nearby school and we all became reasonably well-acquainted with Osun. Osun's dedication to the kids was apparent and Osun brought out a level of performance--especially notable in the musical theater performances--that was both ambitious and impressive. Every performance I saw--and there were quite a few--was innovative and very well done. I give Osun a lot of credit for guiding and inspiring the young students to aim high and rise to the occasion--a quality essential to any successful educational undertaking or establishment. --Ken Dow

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    1. 0May 9, 2022 at 10:46 AM

      It was an utter joy to teach Ellie and Clara (and many other of Hudson's talented youth) in the ways of musical creativity and the performing art (as well as academics) while I was Full Time Faculty, Gender and Sexuality Advisor, 5th Grade Co-Advisor, and Faculty Board of Trustees Member at the Berkshire Country Day School. Cheers Ken! Go Penguins.

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    2. 0May 9, 2022 at 10:47 AM

      It was an utter joy to teach the talented youth of BCD when I was there those years as full time faculty member, gender-sexuality alliance advisor, 5th grade co-advisor, 7th grade chaperone, and Board of Trustees faculty trustee. Cheers Ken!

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  4. Carole OsterinkMay 7, 2022 at 8:23 PM

    Ken Sheffer submitted this comment by email:

    It is inspiring to have a BOE candidate like Osun Zotique that people actually know and respect and also who has made information about his experience available to the voters. As Peter Meyer can tell you, the BOE is a huge commitment of time and it is good to sense enthusiasm in a candidate. But here is the key and the ticket to punch for ALL the candidates: At the April 29, 2022 BOE meeting (directly from their minutes) the school board says the following when talking to themselves (again) about the budget: “If the budget is voted down, June 12, 2022 would be the re-vote. On a contingency budget, it would be the same budget as last year.” SO, the question for Osun and the other candidates, do you support a re-vote with a scaled back and more carefully created budget on June 12 or do you agree that if the main budget goes down that you support the contingency budget that is on the current ballot, which the BOE can adopt without a second vote? Again, the contingency budget on the ballot is also the largest budget in HCSD history. Again, the BOE can chose either option here and they never plan to re-vote. Also, the Supt of Schools, Dr. Spindler will appear in front of the Common Council on Monday, May 9…….I think around 5:30 or 6:00 pm (it’s not on the website, but it seems to be happening) and it would be good to know which of the candidates will be attending this “Public Budget Hearing.” There is $55 million at stake here and this session is an EXTEMELY RARE moment of civic accountability for the Board of Education that everyone should attend. Osun, where are you on both of these issues? Ken Sheffer

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  5. Kevin HannanMay 9, 2022 at 9:58 AM

    This is good news! Ọṣun is highly intelligent and committed, a strong communicator, organizer. Would be a win for students and for the community.

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