Gatto win would mean new school board member

MAT-SU -- The Mat-Su Borough School Board could end up with two new members this fall, depending on who is elected to House District 13.

School board member Carl Gatto recently won the Republican primary and so will continue on to October's general election for the newly created Greater Palmer area House District 13. A win would mean a vacancy on the school board, one that will be filled by a board appointee.

"Could a person actually serve on both?" Gatto asked rhetorically. "I don't think so, because they are connected -- one funds the other. No. 2 is, do you know how much work this is? Heaven knows no one could hold down both of these jobs."

Gatto said it would be impractical, if not nearly impossible, to serve on both the Palmer-based school board and Juneau-based Legislature.

"It would be so unfair to the school board to have this guy never making it to a meeting," Gatto said.

Gatto said, although he is not counting his chickens before they hatch, that if he wins the House seat, he will resign from the school board once the election is certified.

At that point, according to district policy, the school board will advertise the vacancy, accept applications, interview the candidates and then appoint a new member following a school board vote at a public meeting. The same process was used when Darlene Reed, then an active school board member, died several years ago.

Gatto said he feels there are several qualified candidates to take over in his absence, including former board members Helene Antel Brooks, Charlie Huggins and John Fairfield. He also pointed out that three candidates are running for Seat E on the school board, and the board could appoint any of the unsuccessful candidates to fill his vacant chair.

Carolyn Enloe and Konstanse Shuey are challenging incumbent Mike Chmielewski for Seat E. Board member Bob Johnson, who occupies Seat D, is running unopposed.

Watch for profiles of these candidates in an upcoming edition of the Frontiersman.