On May 17, residents will vote to fill three seats on the Board of Education for three-year terms beginning July 1, 2022. The seats are currently held by Terry Burton, Daniel Guasp and Tara Barton, who are running for re-election. Their terms expire June 30, 2022.
The Board is comprised of seven residents who serve overlapping, unpaid terms of three years each. Together, they establish district policies, approve an annual budget proposal, approve or disapprove the superintendent’s recommendations on personnel matters and contracts, review courses of study and textbooks, and act as a communication link between residents and the school district. Board of Education candidate information is provided below.
Terry Burton is seeking his fifth term on the Board. He is a lifelong resident of the Schoharie Central School District and has been a teacher in the Middleburgh School District for 28 years. Burton is a 1986 Schoharie High School graduate with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from SUNY New Paltz and a master’s degree in elementary education from Sage College. He is a member of the Schoharie County School Boards Association, and represents Area 8 at New York State School Boards Association roundtables. Terry and his wife, Cynthia, have a son and daughter in college.
Daniel Guasp is seeking his fourth term on the Board. A Schoharie High School graduate, he earned an associate’s degree in computer information systems at SUNY Cobleskill. Guasp currently works as the operations manager for AEX Group in Albany. He has been active on the high school Building Leadership Committee and SCS Facilities Planning Committee and is a play set building volunteer. He is a past Schoharie Little League coach. Daniel lives in Schoharie with his wife, Lauren. They have two chldren. Joshua attends Schoharie Central School and Jaydan is a graduate.
Laura Rosenthal is seeking her first term on the Board. She and her partner, Russell, live in Schoharie. Her son Max attends Schoharie Elementary. Laura is the bureau director for residential health care reimbursement at the NYS Department of Health. She graduated from Lafayette High School and Kenyon College, with a BA in international studies. She also holds a masters degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Laura has been active in the community as a Schoharie Free Library board member and president; Odyssey of the Mind coach; a SYStem soccer coach, and is a supporter of Little League.
Tara Barton is seeking her second term on the Board. She has lived in Schoharie for more than 20 years with her husband, Shane, and children, Mitchell, Mackenzie and Quin, who attend or have attended Schoharie Central Schools. Tara is a lifelong Schoharie County resident who was born and raised in Sharon Springs. She holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Education from SUNY Cortland and is certified to teach preschool through 12th grade. Tara has been employed by the Sharon Springs Central School District as a teacher since 1991, with an eight-year hiatus when she was a stay-at-home mom.