On May 21, residents will vote to fill three seats on the Board of Education for three-year terms beginning July 1, 2019. The seats are currently held by Terry Burton and Daniel Guasp, who are running for re-election, and Marion Jaqueway, who is not running for re-election. Their terms expire June 30, 2019.
The Board is comprised of seven residents who serve overlapping, unpaid terms of three years each. Together, they establish district policies, approve an annual budget proposal, approve or disapprove the superintendent’s recommendations on personnel matters and contracts, review courses of study and textbooks, and act as a communication link between residents and the school district.
The following individuals, listed in ballot order, are running for seats on the Board of Education candidates:
Dan Guasp is seeking his third term on the Board. A Schoharie High School graduate, he earned an associate’s degree in computer information systems at SUNY Cobleskill. Guasp is a manager overseeing warehouse operations at Crisafulli Bros. in Albany. He has been active on the high school Building Leadership Committee and SCS Facilities Planning Committee and is a play set building volunteer. He is a past Schoharie Little League coach. He lives in Schoharie with his wife, Lauren, and their children Jaydan and Joshua, both of whom attend Schoharie Central Schools.
Terry Burton is seeking his fourth term on the Board. He is a lifelong resident of the Schoharie Central School District and has been a teacher in the Middleburgh School District for 25 years. Burton is a 1986 Schoharie High School graduate with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from SUNY New Paltz and a master’s degree in elementary education from Sage College. He is a member of the Schoharie County School Boards Association, and represents Area 8 at New York State School Boards Association roundtables. Terry and his wife, Cynthia, have a son who attends Schoharie High School and a daughter who attends Middleburgh High School.
Tara Barton is seeking her first term on the Board of Education. She has lived in Schoharie for more than 20 years with her husband, Shane Barton, and children, Mitchell, Mackenzie and Quin, who attend Schoharie Central Schools. Tara is a lifelong Schoharie County resident who was born and raised in Sharon Springs. She holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Education from SUNY Cortland and is certified to teach preschool through 12th grade. Tara has been employed by the Sharon Springs Central School District as a teacher since 1991, with an eight-year hiatus when she was a stay-at home mom.
Zachary Doherty is seeking his first term on the Board. He and his wife, Loren, live in Schoharie with their children River and Willow, who attend Schoharie Elementary, and Noah and Caleb, who attend preschool at SCS. Doherty is vice president and co-owner of Doherty Construction. He graduated early from Berne-Knox-Westerlo High School, studied photovoltaics at Hudson Valley Community College and earned North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners certification. He is a partner and worship team member at Fusion Community Church, participates in community food and clothing drives and donates time and materials for construction projects to help those in need.