GCS elects new board member

Mar. 23—UPDATE: Goshen Community Schools Board President Roger Nafziger has issued a notice to the public that Saturday's vote to fill a vacant board seat was invalid.

In the letter, Nafziger says "The Board has learned that Indiana statute requires a successful candidate to receive a majority vote of the total remaining board members, not a majority of the members present at the meeting."

Councilwoman Maria Sanchez Schirch was anticipated to be present by Zoom but was unable to vote due to technical issues.

"Consequently, with six current GCS school board members, a majority vote requires four affirmative votes for the selection of a new board member," Nafziger explained. The vote ended up being 3-2 for Alexa Ponce, but was rendered void due to the issue.

The school board will retake the vote at the regularly scheduled board meeting tonight, Monday, March 25, 2024. The meeting will be held at the board room of the Goshen Community Schools Administration Center beginning at 6 p.m.

ORIGINAL:

GOSHEN — By a 3-2 vote, the Goshen School Board elected Alexa Ponce, a Goshen native and a GCS graduate, as an interim board member during a special meeting Saturday morning.

"I think she will bring a lot to the board," President Roger Nafziger said after the vote took place.

Ponce will be filling the vacancy created by the resignation of former member Allan Kauffman, who cited health conditions for his resignation. Kauffman and board members Roger Nafziger, Jose Elizalde and Mario Garber are facing criminal charges of election finance fraud during the 2022 Goshen School Board elections.

Following a technical issue related to Zoom, which resulted in member Maria Sanchez Schirch being unable to cast her vote, the meeting got underway at about 10:20 a.m. A total of 10 candidates were interviewed the previous Monday for the one board position, which will be to fill out a remaining term of nine months.

Ponce is set to be sworn in Monday.

Several people spoke during the public comment period, prior to the vote, including Goshen City Councilor Brett Weddell, who described the position being voted on as a "placeholder," and should be filled by a person who is ready to be up and running from day one of being in the position.

"We need to think about what is best for the school system," Weddell told the board.

John Troyer, Goshen, also spoke during public comments, during which he asked the board to consider nominee Keith Goodman.

"I just want to see them appoint someone who gets us away from the extreme partisanship we've been seeing," Troyer said prior to the meeting.

School Board vice president Bradd Weddell also spoke on behalf of Goodman, and reiterated the point about how the position should be filled by someone ready from the start to take it on.

"This board may completely turn over in the next few months," Weddell noted.

In addition to Ponce and Goodman, Jose Luis Gutierrez was also nominated. However, since Goodman was voted on first, followed by Ponce, a vote for Gutierrez did not take place.

Along with Nazfiger, board member Jose Elizalde and secretary Mario Garber voted for Ponce. Although, per state statute due to the technical Zoom issue, Schirch was unable to cast a vote, she supported Ponce as well.

"Alexa is my first choice," she said by Facetime.

Following the vote, Troyer expressed his disappointment with it, recalling his earlier point about partisan politics, which he believes the choice of Ponce represents.

"I'm embarrassed," he told the board members as they prepared to leave.

In a social media post, Ponce said she was "honored and excited" to have been voted into the position.

"I have worked with children and adolescents in the mental health field for many years now," the statement read. "I am happy to to bring my perspective to support Goshen students, especially as a Goshen native."

Steve Wilson is news editor for The Goshen News. You can reach him at steve.wilson@goshennews.com.