CLARION TOWNSHIP – When it came to selecting a new board member, the Clarion-Limestone School District had four candidates from which to choose.
It took two meetings and two rounds of voting before the board agreed to seat Larry Jamison to the vacant seat.
Jamison will occupy the Region II Strattanville Borough/Limestone Township seat, which was vacated when David Schirmer abruptly resigned Feb. 17.
Jamison will serve out the remainder of Schirmer’s term, which runs through 2021. Jamison said he will not seek election once the term expires.
Jamison said his appointment “is a 10-month decision for the board; it is not a three-year decision fulfilling a term, and I think the fairest outcome is to appoint someone who is not running in the primary election.
“This would ensure the current school board does not show favoritism by potentially endorsing someone. This appointment is a placeholder situation. You can show our community you are not trying to affect the primary.”
Jamison, Robin Henry, Chris Boozer and David Louder were all interviewed for the vacant seat at a special board meeting March 3. Boozer and Louder are seeking election to one of the two seats up for election this year.
When the board first voted on the four candidates, there was a deadlock as each candidate received four votes of the six board members present.
During the revote on Wednesday, Jamison was the first candidate to be voted on. He received six yes votes of the seven members present to capture the seat.
Board members Nathaniel Parker, Rebecca Allison, Kathy Henry, Joe Billotte, Roger Powell and David Eggleton each voted for Jamison. Board member Gary Sproul voted no.
Jamison said his background in financial planning should be a boon to the district.
“I would like to offer my over 20 years of experience (in finance) to the board in order to enter into an investment plan,” he said. “We have over $800,000 from an estate, which the district received a few years ago, and those funds are designated for a specific area and we need to look at those resources as a powerful tool that can help our students.
“We should have a plan that looks to protect the asset while using the interest gained from it. Done properly, I think it could be an asset to our students for many years to come.”
Jamison said he would like to see movement regarding the building of an auxiliary gymnasium, which was discussed under an earlier administration.
Jamison said he is willing to stay in service as a private citizen once his term expires in order to see through projects he entered into as a board member.
He serves on the Clarion-Limestone Foundation as treasurer and also is director of planned giving at Clarion University. Jamison also was branch manager/loan officer at First United National Bank in Clarion from 2007 to 2016.