During Thursday’s brief Board of Education meeting, just over 11 minutes long, the board voted on whether to keep schools open for the Presidential primary on April 2.
“I think with Nikki Haley no longer in the race I don’t see why this would be a very high turnout kind of day, given there are early voting opportunities, and each party only has one candidate now,” said BOE member Laura Kostin.
“It’s too late for them not to have a primary,” said Karen Hirsh. “They don’t expect a high turnout, buy they can’t cancel them.”
Any building hosting the primary will have additional security for the school day.
“I agree with this, and I’ve had several conversations with (Republican Registrar of Voters) Fred DeCaro, and our ability to provide security and given the turnout is expected to be low,” said BOE chair Karen Kowalski. “Obviously security is the foremost important thing with respect to our students and teachers, parents and staff, but given we have an expectation of a very low turnout… And given students are preparing for various tests, particularly AP tests and losing a day of school could have an impact on that, I think it’s important to recognize the exception we are making because normally we would close schools as we have in the past.”
“And I’d also note for the public there is voting very early in the morning and there is voting late into the evening,” she added.
“And if you love voting in elections where there is one choice, just move to Russia,” Cody Kittle joked.
“Obviously I was one of the people who pushed for this, remaining open on April 2,” said Kathleen Stowe. “We have a lot of days off in April, and AP’s are around the corner in early May. There is no question in my mind that our kids should be in school, especially because you’d be breaking up another week.”
Stowe noted early voting is available March 26 to 28, and March 30, and absentee ballots are available starting on March 12.
“So if you really want to put that one circle in for that one person in your party, you can get that done early,” Stowe said.
“I’d rather not cancel school for 8366 students and inconvenience those families if we don’t need to, for an expected low turnout event,” Ms Kostin added.
The board voted unanimously that all schools will remain open on April 2. (Karen Kowalski, Karen Hirsh, Wendy Vizzo, Kathleen Stowe, Cody Kittle, Michael-Joseph Mercanti-Anthony, Laura Kostin).