The Gettysburg Area School District (GASD) school board elected Sylvan Hershey to replace board member Alex Hewitt who resigned only days after he was elected in January.
In their deliberations, the board first voted to consider only candidates who had applied for the replacement position left open when member AmyBeth Hodges won two seats.
Because candidate Michelle Smyers had indicated to the board she did not want to be considered, the board members were left with a choice between Alice Broadway and Hershey.
Before the vote board member Kathleen Adams Pratt again asked the board to consider the wishes of the public and appoint Alice Broadway who received over 2,700 votes in the November election. “We’re here to represent the people who put us here, the taxpayers,” she said.
In the roll call vote Hodges, Tim Seigman, Al Moyer, Timon Linn, Michael Dickerson and Board President Kenneth Hassinger voted for Hershey while Carrie Soliday and Pratt voted for Broadway.
Both Broadway and Hershey had been members of the board until last December. Neither was re-elected in November, 2019.
Mr. Hewitt addressed the board during the citizens’ participation section of the meeting. “I’m here to clarify a few things. I’m not here to defend myself because there’s nothing to defend,” said Hewitt.
Hewitt said baseless claims had been made against him. “This group called Gettysburg Rising did a political hit job on me. It’s a group that leans left,” he said. “This group brought politics in here. This group hired a private investigator to look into stuff about me,” said Hewitt.
Hewitt asked Hassinger to “Look into it. I would like to see if you could do anything to investigate into this. They’re putting politics ahead of the children in the school district. I’m sorry I will not be able to be a part of this,” said Hewitt.
Hewitt also said he believed “that there is a board member on here [the school board] that is part of Gettysburg Rising.”
Contacted after the meeting, members of Gettysburg Rising denied hiring an investigator and said group members visited Hewitt’s public Facebook page and shared screenshots of his posts.
In other public comment, former GASD board member Sally Michael recognized the dedication of the school board members, saying “at times it’s a thankless job.”
“In this time of great division in the country I’d like to ask you work together as a board. The school board should not be about being a Republican a Democrat, Left or Right, them or us. It’s about working together as a group to do what’s best for the students, employees, and taxpayers of this district,” said Michael.
Michael as well as many school board members praised the work of retiring business manager Brad Hunt. Belinda M. Wallen will become business manager effective Feb 15.
District Audit Reviewed
The board also reviewed the audit of its 2018-2019 fiscal year spending. The audit reported revenues of about $63 million and expenditures of about $60 million and said the overall change in the general fund was up about $2 million.
Responding to the audit figures, Hassinger said the district was in a “comfortable spot.”
Charles (Chuck) Stangor is Gettysburg Connection's Owner, Publisher, and Editor in Chief. I would like to hear from you. Please contact me at cstangor@gettysburgconnection.org.