A Gettysburg Area School District board member who believes the realities of the position conflict with the pledge she made to voters has resigned.
“Upon taking this position, I made promises to many voters that I would not, under any condition, vote to raise taxes,” Cynthia Ayers wrote in a letter dated April 22. “I have since realized the frustrating reality that a complex association of state, federal, and local issues are involved which make the overall job of school board members virtually impossible.”
Ayers believes the system is broken and “designed to pit parents against teachers, teachers against the school board, taxpayers against school administrators, and places school board members in an untenable position.”
She added she believes the system will become impossible to sustain and ultimately, hurt children. Unfunded mandates from the state and federal government push costs onto the local districts, which only have one outlet for raising funds–tax increases.
Ayers suggested the GASD board appoint an independent ombudsman who can clearly communicate the district’s challenges to voters.
Ayers was elected to the board in 2023. For about a year, she has voted against all Human Resources Recommendations because she believed the district needed to study the size of its staff.
“Since I am unable to accomplish the task that was asked of me by constituents (e.g. vote “no” on all tax increases and/or all costs that could contribute to a rise in taxes), I believe my integrity would be compromised if I continued to operate within this system,” she wrote.
Vacancy
The board is accepting letters of interest, statements of financial interest forms, and resumes/curriculum vitae from interested eligible citizens wishing to fill Ayers’ seat.
The board will conduct public interviews before the public meeting on June 2, according to an agenda from Monday’s meeting.
Business Manager Belinda Wallen said the successful applicant will serve until the Dec. 2 reorganization meeting. This summer, the Republican and Democratic parties will have an opportunity to place candidates on November’s General Election ballot to fill Ayers’ seat for from December 2025 to December 2027. The parties’ nomination, Wallen said, is necessary since Ayers resigned after the deadline for candidates to file for the May 20, 2025 Primary Election.
Interested citizens should contact Wallen at 717-334-6254 ext. 1226 for additional information.
Alex J. Hayes has spent almost two decades in the Adams County news business. He is passionate about sharing stories focused on the people in our communities and following local governments in an age when few journalists report on their meetings. Alex is also a freelance writer for several other publications in South Central Pennsylvania. Alex encourages readers to contact him at ahayes83@gmail.com.