Moreno again appointed to Arcadia school board

For the second time in a year, Vicente Moreno will fill an open seat on the Arcadia school board.

The board last Monday voted 4-2 in favor of Moreno filling the open seat left by the recent resignation of former vice president Randy Nilsestuen.

Board members Tonya Rebhahn and Dana Conrad voted against Moreno’s appointment, which will last until the April 2024 election.

Moreno said on Monday that he hopes to continue representing the Latino community.

“I’m trying to create a relationship between the Latino community and bring the whole community together. I feel like that is a big. ... thing that I think the population is a mixture of Latinos and not, it is a very cultural school,” Moreno said.

Four Arcadia residents submitted letters of interest to fill the open seat, including Moreno, Gary Pronschinske, Michael Chitko and Hilary Kupietz. Kupietz later withdrew her letter of interest.

Moreno, Pronschinske and Chitko all attended last Monday’s meeting and spoke to the board.

Chitko said he hoped to help students understand all the opportunities that are in the real world outside of Arcadia, and Pronschinske said students’ best interests should be a focus.

Pronschinske serves on the Glencoe Town Board and said the board should have a representative from outside the City of Arcadia.

“They just feel like they are not represented,” Pronschinske said of the smaller municipalities that make up the district along with the city.

Moreno was first appointed to the board last October to fill the seat vacated by Rob Hurlburt before Moreno was not re-elected in last April’s election.

A motion to appoint Pronschinske was made by Rodney Walters and seconded by Dana Conrad prior to the vote on Moreno but failed 3-2 (Walters, Conrad in favor) with board member Diana Tempski abstaining to avoid appearing biased because they both serve on the fire board.

Pronschinske congratulated Moreno and wished him well but said after the vote that some residents may begin to think the appointments are a way for the board to hand-pick who is on the board outside of elections.

“The question I was asked by several people that asked me to try to get on the board is — and no disrespect intended — is this the way for the board to pick who they want on the board since it’s happened so recently in less than a year plus an election,” Pronschinske asked.

Servais pointed to Hurlburt’s reason for leaving being his family moving outside the district while Nilsestuen’s reason was retirement, and district Superintendent Lance Bagstad noted that the procedure is outlined by state statutes, not the school district.

“It is coincidence, two years in a row,” Servais said. “In my nine years on the board I’ve never seen that.”

Pronschinske said the community should be informed of that.

“The way it’s handled and the way it’s perceived, that’s what’s out there. And I told every person that told me (to run) that I’ve only been to four board meetings in the last three years. And I’m glad to see people here. ... But I’m just asking that because people asked me and (see) if you can set them straight and squash rumors.”

“Some people think ... you guys are picking who you want because of their views or etcetera,” Pronschinske later added.

Servais ended the discussion by saying the board pays attention to who attends meetings and that any community perception of a rigged appointment system is not accurate and he hopes to see more community attendance at board meetings.