Timing, as they say, is everything…

For one, it’s time to vote. We’ve all received our ballots in the mail, and election officials say they should be dropped into the mail by Friday for them to be officially counted on time by Tuesday’s election deadline.

Ballots can also be dropped off through Tuesday at Town Hall, but the most efficient way to ensure timeliness and accuracy is to mail those ballots early.

As for timing, the School District is reeling once again from another untimely controversy right before the election, this one involving the resignation of high school teacher and varsity volleyball coach Christie Slegers after allegations surfaced that she fudged her educational achievements along with her boast that she obtained an Olympic gold medal in volleyball.

FHUSD is saying Slegers didn’t mention the silver medal when she applied to be a coach, nor did she put on her academic resume that she obtained a doctorate. However, such claims eventually surfaced and began to be repeated by Slegers. The district naturally tried to distance itself from the controversy, writing in a statement that Slegers did not present the district with sufficient evidence to confirm her representations. She opted for the resignation route.

It throws more fuel on the FHUSD fire, however, especially as voters are already making their decisions on a district capital override extension along with selecting three residents to sit on the School Board.

Timing aside, we reiterate our original recommendation that voters approve the capital override. This funding issue is totally separate from the fired status of teacher Pam Aister or the resigned status of Slegers. Decisions at the ballot box shouldn’t be made solely on emotion concerning controversial personnel matters involving the district.

Board incumbent Karl Gaardsmoe has been taking a lot of heat from Aister supporters, since he was one of four members who voted to oust her. But again, being a School Board member doesn’t boil down to just one vote. Mr. Gaardsmoe is a relative newcomer to the board, but he has done an admirable job with regard to the district before he got on the board and after his appointment, especially in the financial arena. He would serve the district well for another four years.

Of the others vying for posts, we like Wendy Barnard and Edith Stock at this time. Barnard has been heavily involved with local volunteerism for quite some time and brings experience in the field of education along with Stock, who has worked as both a teacher and an administrator.