DURHAM — Longtime Madbury resident Jim Kach has been appointed to the vacant position on the Oyster River School Board.
Kach was appointed to the position following a special School Board meeting Wednesday night. Madbury resident Carla Bonney also interviewed for the position.
Kach, 67, is a University Of New Hampshire graduate and has lived in Madbury since 1996. He is currently employed as a computer technician for SAU 16, the Exeter-area school district.
Joining the School Board is a way to give back to the community, Kach said.
"When I heard they couldn't find anyone to represent Madbury, I was shocked," he said. "I'm getting to a point in my life where I wanted to do some volunteering."
Kach has been active within the district, previously coaching the Oyster River Phantoms youth soccer team. He also has a son who graduated from the district.
Kach previously worked as a real estate broker and appraiser and has served as a substitute teacher for SAU 16. His wife teaches in the Dover School District.
Superintendent Howard Colter said Kach's experience in the field of education should benefit the district.
"I think both candidates were outstanding and qualified for the position," he said. "The board just felt that Mr. Kach's background and experience was the tipping point," he said.
Kach hopes that something good will come out of his volunteering for the position.
"I'm grateful they put this trust in me and I hope to repay them with transparency and honesty," he said.
He joked that he would use his ears more than his mouth during his first few meetings on the board in order to familiarize himself with the issues facing the district. Kach described himself as a conservative and said he understands the budget concerns that have faced the district.
"I know a good education costs money but that doesn't mean we can't practice frugality," he said.
The Madbury position on the board has been vacant since former Board Chair Mark Townsend resigned in June. The board had hoped to fill the position by the end of June.
Kach will assume the position until March, at which point he or someone else could run for the remaining year of the term.
teach said...
ReplyDeleteAn open note to Mr. Kach:
Dear Mr. Kach welcome to public service. It is greatly appreciated that you have chosen to dedicate time to our district. There are many citizens and teachers who follow this blog, for the most important reason of open communication. While this blog is not always friendly, it is open and if you can wade your way through the muck, there is often information that can not be found elsewhere. There have been numerous requests for board members to respond on this blog and all have been ignored. I understand why, but do hope that board members read this blog in an effort to hear from their constituants.
Mr. Kach as a public servant it will be very important to keep an open mind, and an open ear to the requests and needs of your community.
Please ask questions, and represent the people on behalf of the children of our district.
Many on this blog have requested an investigation into the workings of Howard Colter. I am not sure why these requests have been completly ignored by the board, but hold out hope that the board will work towards developing some way towards rebuilding the trust that has been broken since Howard Colter's arrival to our district.
The suspicion you often see on this blog is simply due to a lack of ability on the part of the board to answer basic questions. Mr. Kach the question above is a very simple one, and I hope you have the heart of service to answer the above question in simple terms. If you are told by members of the board you should not write on this blog, then the problems of our district indeed are as great as described within the context of this blog.
August 10, 2010 7:45 AM
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Well said i teach. Thank you Mr. Kach for stepping forward to fill the vacant board position.
ReplyDeleteIt is time for the public to receive answers and for Howard Colter to be held accountable.
I would like the school board to seriously consider eliminated one of our directors of Instruction. Our district does not need two over-paid directors. It is more wasteful spending.
ReplyDeleteIn the latest school board meeting, Colter praised his two director of instruction (Nadeau and Buldoc) for taking on additional business administrator duties since Blaine Cox has left for Rochester. I guess Meredith Nadeau is now the director of Instruction, the director of special programming, and the interim business administrator. We do not need two directors of instruction. It is time to make some cuts.
ReplyDelete