Open TCAPS seat draws interest

By LINDSAY VanHULLE
lvanhulle@record-eagle.com

January 13, 2009 12:00 am

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TRAVERSE CITY -- An empty Traverse City school board seat has yielded at least nine hopefuls for a temporary term, a significant change in interest from two months ago.

Board members Monday heard from eight people who expressed a desire to run for the vacancy, created when Amy Sutherland, elected in November, resigned last month before attending her first meeting.

A ninth, Traverse City resident Fritz Heller, submitted a letter of intent to the office of Traverse City Area Public Schools Superintendent James Feil, but did not speak Monday.

The eight applicants who addressed the board include:

-- Jennifer Bonifacio, who has three children in the district;

-- Beth Denoyer, a member of the TCAPS District Advisory Council;

-- Scott Hardy, a former Traverse City commissioner;

-- Kelly Hall, a parent of five children in TCAPS;

-- Mary Manner, who has been active with the district's Music Boosters and a citizen initiative to pass a bond request;

-- Julie Puckett, a Northwestern Michigan College math instructor who advocated for keeping Bertha Vos Elementary from closing;

-- Fred Schaafsma, president of the Peninsula Community Library board at Old Mission Peninsula School;

-- John Blakeslee, a Traverse City attorney.

"It shows they're committed to the district," board member Dave Barr said in response to the number of applicants. "That's really what we need at the end of the day."

Sutherland was the sole candidate in November for former member Gerald Morris' seat. She resigned Dec. 31, saying she would need to miss months of meetings while finalizing the adoption of a baby boy from Africa.

Board members established a set of criteria for applicants and set a deadline of Jan. 19 to submit letters of intent. They will interview and appoint a board member Jan. 26.

The appointee will serve until November, when an election will be held to fill the remainder of Sutherland's four-year term.

Among the criteria is prior district or community board involvement, individual skills such as finance or planning and whether an applicant can make the time commitment.

"The school system has been very good to me and my children, and I hope it's going to continue to be," Blakeslee said, adding that he is concerned about the district's financial picture. "This board is really facing major problems because of the economy."

Puckett, an NMC instructor, said she is "passionate" about education and was a regular volunteer in her children's school.

"I am not here because I have an ax to grind or an agenda to move forward," she said. "I'd like to use my personal strengths to help the board."

Also Monday, board members re-elected Fred Tank to serve as president through December, by a margin of 4-2. Barr also was nominated, earning votes from himself and member Alice McNally.

Marjie Rich will serve as vice president, Megan Crandall as secretary and Barr as treasurer.