Board of Education Members
The Board of Education consists of seven members elected to serve three-year terms of office. All members serve without salary. Business meetings are generally held twice each month on Mondays beginning at 7:00 PM in the High School Library; actual dates are listed in the district calendar found at www.Southerncayuga.org. Community members are encouraged to attend meetings to keep informed about the District. The School Board has the legal responsibility for the operation of the District within the framework of the New York State laws. The Board establishes the policies under which the school district operates, and the Superintendent of Schools is responsible for administering the school program within the context of these policies.
| President | Mrs. Rachel McCarthy | Term Ends 2026 |
| Member | Mr. Mark Ferrari | Term Ends 2028 |
| Member | Mr. Dave Harvatine | Term Ends 2027 |
| Member | Mrs. Janet Lehman | Term Ends 2025 |
| Member | Mr. Robb Jetty | Term Ends 2027 |
| Vice President | Mr. Timothy Pallokat | Term Ends 2026 |
| Member | Mrs. Lori Knopp | Term Ends 2028 |
To contact the Board of Education via e-mail, send to SCCSBOE@southerncayuga.org
New school board members must fulfill mandatory training within the first year of service. This includes fiscal oversight training and governance skills training.
School Board Member Qualifications
What are the qualifications for membership on a school board?
To qualify for membership on a school board in a common, union free, central, central high school or small city school district, an individual:
- Must be able to read and write
- Must be a qualified voter of the district; that is, a citizen of the United States, at least 18 years of age and not adjudged to be incompetent. A convicted felon is barred from running for a seat on a school board if his or her maximum prison sentence has not expired or if he or she has not been pardoned or discharged from parole
- Must be and have been a resident (but need not be a taxpayer) of the district for a continuous and uninterrupted period of at least one year
- May not have been removed from any school district office within the preceding year
- May not reside with another member of the same school board as a member of the same family
- May not be a current employee of the school board
- May not simultaneously hold another incompatible public office
School Budget Vote & Board of Education Election will be held Tuesday, May 20, 2025 in the District Office.
Absentee Ballot Application
If you are in need of an absentee ballot, you must fill out the application at the above link, or they are available for pickup in the District Office between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Applications must be filled out completely and returned to the District Clerk before a ballot can be received.
