School board selects new member for District 5 vacancy

During a special meeting of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District (MSBSD) school board Wednesday afternoon, the members convened to select a replacement for the vacant District 5 slot after Former board member Jacob Butcher resigned last month, one day before the Borough elections.

Anthony Pitcher was selected as the replacement board member for District 5.

The longtime resident of Alaska and father of nine children told the board that it’s because of his children and the different paths they have taken for their education, from charter schools and public schools, another homeschooling, and two not quite ready for pre-school just yet, that he has a vested interest in the education of children.

“I was raised by a very patriotic father who instilled in me that education is very important, not just for career paths…but also for history,” Pitcher told the board members, adding, “that if we don’t learn from history, then we are destined to go through some hard times.”

Pitcher said that he believes students should have a plan when they graduate high school, and wants students to be prepared for whatever challenges may come their way.

“When it comes to education, I do not believe that there is a ‘one shoe size fits all,’ when it comes to our youth. There should be as many opportunities as possible for our kids to pursue career paths.”

He said that he doesn’t like the idea of students coming out of high school only to have the real world ‘smack them in the face,’ and deter them from success.

Pitcher would like to see students more focused on picking a career that would give them satisfaction, but also financial security.

“I’d really hate to see any more young people continue the tragedy we have in this nation with student loans they can’t pay because the major in the college education they received didn’t direct them to a career in which they can even pay those payments, let alone be a functioning member of society or be financially successful.”

As for taking over Butcher’s seat on the board, Pitcher said that the voters in District 5 chose Butcher based on his values and what he brought to the table, and that he would like to continue with that.

“Several of the things he ran on were ensuring fiscal responsibility throughout the organization, exemplifying the highest standards in educational development, prioritize school safety, and maintain parent choice.”

Upon his election, Pitcher was immediately sworn into office by MSBSD Superintendent Dr. Randy Trani and assumed a seat on the dais to prepare for the regularly scheduled school board meeting to follow.

There were nine candidates vying for the spot, with varied backgrounds and experiences had the opportunity to introduce themselves to the board and make their case for why they should be selected for the vacancy, which expires in November 2025.

The school board had the chance to ask the candidates questions, yet none took advantage of the opportunity, resulting in a quick process.

The theme among the majority of the candidates was ‘parental rights’ as nearly every candidate spoke on it during the presentations. Even more important was that the school board seemed to favor those candidates when it came time to select the replacement member.

When it came time to cast their ballots, Associate Superintendent Katie Gardner oversaw the multi-tier process. During the first round of voting, each board member was permitted to cast an allotted number of votes, and according to board policy, votes are set at no more than 60% of the number of applicants, which in this case was nine, meaning the members were allotted five.

After the first round, the field was narrowed down to Jacob Snedecker, Justin Shoemake, Jennifer Cizek, Audri Jirak, and Pitcher. From there, the board members were allowed to cast a single vote, and following two tries, the board selected Pitcher.