Incumbents seek additional BOE terms in uncontested races

PINE PLAINS — In addition to voting on the 2020-21 school district budget and a bus purchase proposition, voters living in the Pine Plains Central School District will be asked to cast their ballot for their choice of Pine Plains Board of Education (BOE) candidates on Tuesday, June 9.

For this year’s election, voters will be asked to vote on two BOE members to fill the two open seats on the school board. If elected, the members will each serve a three-year term, starting Wednesday, July 1, and ending June 30, 2023. This year’s election features two incumbent candidates: Heidi Johnson and James Griffin.

Heidi Johnson

Finishing up her second term, Heidi Johnson has been given the opportunity to witness great progress taking place in the Pine Plains Central School District during her time on the BOE, from the improvements made to the district’s academic performance to the increased outreach to students who are struggling. She also praised the implementation of the district’s one-to-one laptop initiative as well as its continuation of its solid financial status.

Among her reasons for running for a third term, Johnson highlighted the major changes expected to take place in New York school districts in the coming years due to the coronavirus pandemic and the uncertainty of state aid. Anticipating financial pressures, she said it’s become even more imperative for the district to find creative ways of maintaining its existing programs without having a massive effect on the tax rate. Governor Andrew Cuomo has warned that if the state does not receive additional federal funding from Washington, there could be a 20% decrease in state education aid next year.

Holding faith in the BOE’s ability to rise to the challenges to come, Johnson said, “I think together with the administration that we can face the challenges in the years ahead.”

In addition to her work on the BOE, Johnson serves on the board’s Policy Committee, a role she enjoys and accredits as the “heart of what the board does.”

James Griffin

Also running for his third term on the BOE, James Griffin has seen his fair share of progress in the Pine Plains Central School District during his time as a school board member. Among the accomplishments he is particularly proud to have overseen, he praised the school district’s one-to-one initiative, especially now that students are continuing their education through the district’s distance learning program during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced the governor to shut down schools statewide for the remainder of the academic year.

When asked about what motivated him to run for another term, Griffin said, “I think we still have a lot more work to do and I’m happy to continue to do my community service as part of the school board.”

Like Johnson, Griffin shared how he’s looking forward to keeping the district as stable as possible with the challenges that lie ahead. Though COVID-19 took everyone by surprise, he praised the district’s ability to rise to the challenge and ensure that the students would be taken care of when the schools closed.

“I think our biggest accomplishment if we do some things right is to serve our community, our students, our parents with as little disruption as possible to keep the learning environment as smooth and as least restrictive as possible,” Griffin said.

Voters must cast their ballots by mail this year due to the coronavirus pandemic canceling in-person voting. All qualified voters should have received their return postage paid ballots in the mail already; if not, contact the district clerk immediately at the district office, at 518-398-7181. For more information, go to www.ppcsd.org, and make sure to read this week’s front page article on BOE elections and budget votes across the Harlem Valley.