May 10, 2023 by Darren Pasek (‘25)
The Saratoga Springs City School District (SSCSD) school board is made up of seven seats, with three openings for this year’s election cycle. There are five candidates, two of whom are already on the board: Tony Krackeler and Anjeanette Emeka. The Lightning Rod sent a survey to each candidate and, along with information gathered through the League of Women Voters forum, candidate sites, and other local news outlets, we assembled this preview of what’s to come in this year’s elections. The questions included in the survey were as follows: what quality is most important to a successful school district? What issue is causing the most hindrance to SSCSD? What solution(s) do you propose to fix this issue?
Our simplified guide is intended to be an aid to anyone who feels overwhelmed by the voting process, and would like a brief overview of the options available. Any resident who is 18 years or older and registered to vote can do so on May 16th from 6am to 9pm at various polling locations. For more information on how to vote please visit the Voter Information Portal found on the school website.
Tony Krackeler
Tony Krackeler is the current Board of Education president and is running for reelection for his position. He is running in a “block” with Anjeanette Emeka and Beth Fogarty Braxton. Even though these candidates are running with similar platforms and have endorsed each other, voters can select any assortment of 3 candidates to support on May 16.
Mr. Krackeler is the father of two students at Saratoga Springs High School (SSHS) and one graduate. He believes the most important quality to a successful district is a sense of shared mission. This mission, he believes, entails meeting students where they are, and providing the resources needed for students to succeed.
Krackeler also believes the district has no one problem greater than another. He said, “I don’t see one monolithic challenge rising above the others.” Instead, he thinks there should be a sense of continuity throughout the district from elementary to high school. He mentioned that at the elementary level there is a problem of “chronic absenteeism,” the middle school needs to enforce a stronger sense of belonging, and the high school should reexamine their curricular goals. To solve these problems, he suggests giving more cohesive and sufficient resources to the professionals who need them.
Anjeanette Emeka
Anjeanette, or Anjie, Emeka is a current board trustee who is up for reelection. She is an administrator of academic affairs at State University of New York (SUNY) Empire and has two children. She believes that emotional safety is the most integral part of a school district’s success. She asserted, “it’s hard to learn when you have a shield up to protect your emotional well-being.” The most pressing issue, she believes, is along the same lines. She thinks we need to be more accepting of others’ differences and foster a culture that does not facilitate the use of offensive language.
Beth Fogarty Braxton
Braxton will be a new member of the Board if she is elected. She has two children at SSHS and is a licensed mental health counselor. She works at SUNY Adirondack as chair of the counseling division. One of Braxton’s biggest goals is to “bring forth the intersection of education and mental health.” She believes that a sense of belonging is the most important quality of a successful school district. She thinks Saratoga does a good job at enforcing this with our diverse opportunities for students to get involved in the SSCSD community. Braxton thinks that covid related issues (learning loss, anxiety, etc.) are hindering students and staff significantly. To address this, she wants to continue rebuilding a sense of community.
Sharon Dominguez
Dominguez is currently running for her first term. As a mother of two, one of whom is a student at SSHS, Dominguez believes that communication is the most important quality for a successful district. Additionally, Dominguez thinks safety–whether it be facilitated through School Resource Officers, or by creating a culture in which staff members feel safe enough to voice their concerns–is the most pressing issue in our district. To address this, she encourages open communication, building trust, celebrating diversity, and being able to comfortably give feedback. Dominguez has previously been connected to local and typically conservative organizations, Moving Saratoga Forward and Education Excellence–which she co-founded.
Joseph Sabanos
Joseph, or Joe, Sabanos is running in a “block” with Sharon Dominguez. He, along with Dominguez, believes in honest communication as an important quality for a school district. Along the same lines, he thinks the there is a problem with the chain of command’s communication. He thinks a continued building of productive dialogue is necessary. He believes this effort must come via a collaborative effort from diverse viewpoints.