HSCSD Board reorganizes its officers

The Hot Springs County School Board vice-chair got promoted to chair, while its clerk and treasurer switched offices, during the board of trustees’ Dec. 16 meeting.

Board trustee Clay Van Antwerp nominated Vice-Chair Sherman Skelton for board chair, while fellow trustee Rick Engelbrecht nominated Treasurer Joe Martinez for board chair.

Engelbrecht said of Martinez, “I think he deserves it and has earned it. He’s been on the board quite a while and has been working hard.”

Board Clerk Nicole Weyer nominated Chair Jennifer Axtell to retain her office.

Van Antwerp, Skelton and board trustee Will Farrell voted for Skelton as board chair, while Martinez and Engelbrecht voted for Martinez as chair, and Axtell and Weyer voted for Axtell to remain chair.

With Skelton receiving the most votes in the 3-2-2 split, Superintendent Dustin Hunt handed him the board chair’s gavel, then complimented Axtell on her tenure as chair, something he said he should have done with previous chairs.

“The board chair works very closely with me, and Jennifer’s done a tremendous job,” Hunt said. “I just appreciate how she’s handled things. I certainly would not have wanted to be the board chair during COVID-19.”

Axtell described her time as board chair as “a good learning experience,” before bidding her successor, “Enjoy, Sherman.”

Skelton thanked Axtell and echoed her comments by saying he “learned a lot” during his past two years as vice-chair.

Weyer nominated Axtell to serve as the new board vice-chair, while Engelbrecht nominated Martinez, and Van Antwerp nominated Farrell, causing Engelbrecht to joke, “Let’s just split the vote,” drawing laughter from the board.

Axtell and Weyer voted for Axtell as vice-chair, while Martinez and Engelbrecht voted for Martinez, and Van Antwerp, Skelton and Farrell voted for Farrell, making him the winner of a second 3-2-2 split.

Both Van Antwerp and Weyer nominated Martinez to serve as the new board clerk — “You should sign your daughter’s diploma,” Weyer told Martinez — and after no one else was nominated, the board voted unanimously for Martinez.

Likewise, when Axtell nominated Weyer to serve as the new board treasurer, no one else was nominated and the board voted unanimously for Weyer.

When it came time to declare potential conflicts of interest, Hunt reminded the board that his spouse works for the school district, while Martinez noted his spouse works at the middle school as a teacher, and Skelton reiterated his “temporary employment at RYTE Rehab,” which he added ended that day.

Weyer pointed out her husband works through the hospital, while Van Antwerp, Engelbrecht and Axtell all reported “no known conflicts” of interest.

And the board again approved purchasing a bond in the amount of $50,000 for the board treasurer.