NPCS school board elections

The North Putnam Community School Board elections saw incumbent Travis Lambermont continue to hold the Clinton Township seat after running unopposed and Ron Spencer winning against Betsy Fouts for the Floyd Township seat.

Spencer will replace board member Oliver Haste, who served one 4-year term.

Ron Spencer, the newly elected North Putnam School Board representative for Floyd Township.

Spencer was born and raised in Putnam County and has lived in Floyd Township since 1992, a history that he thinks helped him win the school board seat.

His experience working with the young people of the county was one of the reasons Spencer decided to run for the position.

"Whether it be through youth leagues, sports leagues or 4-H," Spencer said he has been heavily involved with the youth of Putnam County and sees his new role on the school board as an extension of that involvement.

"I felt like there was an opportunity for me to continue to give back to the community by running for the school board."

As to what he hopes he can contribute, Spencer hopes that he

"I just hope to be a contributor," Spencer said.

"I'd like to think that I'm going to bring common sense to some of the decisions that are made."

Lambermont felt that going into a second term presented unique advantages.

"We know the direction we want to go (as a school)" Lambermont said, citing familiarity with the people and processes of the board as a benefit to a second term.

Current school board member John Hays will continue as the Jackson Township seat on the board after no one filed to run for the position.

Hays remains in his position through circumstances similar to those in which he joined the board.

Hays was appointed to the Jackson Township seat after Jon Buser resigned in 2010, before Buser's term was finished.

Under the current scenario, Hays is required to uphold the Jackson Township seat but, is allowed to resign before the seat comes up for election again in 2018.

If he or any board member were to resign, the school board would interview and appoint a representative from that particular township to take their place.

Spencer will join the NPCS officially during the Jan. 15 school board meeting, dubbed the "reorganization meeting."

At that meeting, new and existing members will be sworn in and a board president will be elected.

Whomever is elected president by a majority vote will then lead the elections of vice president and secretary before continuing on with the board meeting.

The North Putnam School Board is made up of one person from each of the six townships (Russell, Franklin, Jackson, Clinton, Monroe and Floyd) of North Putnam with a seventh "at-large" member that may come from any of six townships.

The school board has designated election cycles that are offset from one another so while a term lasts four years, elections are held every two years.

Having won their seats in this year's election, Lambermont, Spencer and Hays each have terms that will last four years.

Meanwhile, current board president Jill Summerlot from Franklin Township; current secretary Darrel Wiatt from Russell Township and board member Jim Bowling from Monroe Township all have terms that will end on Dec. 31, 2016.

At-large member and vice president Mark Hoke's term will end on Dec. 31, 2017.

NPCS school board meetings take place on the third Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. at the administration building in Bainbridge.