Tripp-Delmont election remains same after recount

A recount of Tripp-Delmont’s representation measure Monday showed the same outcome — a defeat by five votes.

District voters opposed changing the school board’s representation from geographic areas to at-large seats 225 to 220 on Nov. 2.

After the school board canvassed the results of its special election on Nov. 8, three registered voters and school board members — Verlin Buchholz, Carolyn Peters and Mark Mora — filed a petition for a recount.

The recount of paper ballots took an hour Monday morning, Business Manager Sherry Hansen said. Sharon Haar and Phyllis Dewald, both of Tripp, and Donna Ligtenberg, of Delmont, served on the recount board.

Superintendent Lynn Vlasman has said the

board has been concerned about fewer people living in rural areas in a school district that covers 250 square miles in parts of four counties and finding people to run.

School Board President Verlin Buchholz, of rural Tripp, said he did not think the results would change with a recount, but the issue was important enough to seek one.

Outgoing state Rep. Bill Van Gerpen, of Tyndall, introduced a bill to make it possible for school districts to switch from districts to at-large areas and the Legislature passed it in 2009. Previously, state law only permitted districts to change from at-large areas to districts, Buchholz said.

Part of the problem with finding candidates is that Clearfield and Greenfield colonies are located in area two, represented by Carolyn Peters, of rural Delmont, Buchholz said. Peters has been reappointed to her seat because no one else will run in her district. Colony residents vote and support the district, but do not run for public office, he said.

A solution might entail redistricting and placing the colonies in two different districts once census data is available, Buchholz said, adding that school districts are required to ensure that districts are divided correctly according to population with each census.

“We can redistrict any way we want, as long as we have the right amount of bodies in each district,” he said.

Buchholz does not anticipate placing the issue before voters again next June when the school’s election is scheduled.

Tags: election 2010, tripp-delmont, news, politics