More write-in candidates step up for Shen school board

PHOTOGRAPHER: Kassie Parisi

CLIFTON PARK — Three more write-in candidates have expressed interest in joining the Shenendehowa Central School District’s Board of Education.

Gutsa Miller, Julia Tristan and Kerensa Ryback have all announced their intention to run for the board as write-in candidates.

Miller, a Clifton Park resident, moved to town five years ago from New York City with her husband. She is a licensed social worker with certificates in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy.

She has two children in the Shen district and has served on the Tesago Elementary School Parent Teacher Association as president. She is now the Shen PTA council executive board’s first vice president.

Miller noted that, as a mental health professional, she will focus on making sure the mental health needs of students of all grade levels are met at school, and will do so by working with teachers, administrators and community members.

“As a member of the Shen BOE, I will help to ensure that parents, teachers, staff, administrators and students themselves have a respected voice at the table,” she said.

Tristan, who has two children in the district as well, has two decades of experience as a semiconductor engineer and moved to Clifton Park eight years ago.

As a physicist, Tristan said she is skilled in analyzing data and approaching problems from various sides. She also said that, if elected, she will bring an attention and rigor to the decision-making process that guarantees the best outcomes possible for all students.

“I plan to work closely with the community to involve them more in the education opportunities that are presented to our children,” she said. “Our educational system needs to be as fluid and evolving as the world outside of our district. Our children need to be prepared for what awaits them after they leave Shen, and one way to do this is to bring our community into the school.”

Kerensa Ryback, another write-in candidate, has lived in Clifton Park for 15 years. She has five children: one graduated from Shen, and the other four are currently in the district. Ryback, who is a photographer, is serving as vice president of the Acadia Middle School Parent Teacher Association.

Ryback said, if elected, she would like the board to focus on becoming more educated about high-stakes testing in schools, and would like to work towards bolstering school safety as well. She also noted that she would make a push to have more frequent communication between the school board and the town.

Also running for three positions on the board are write-in candidate Ram Lalukota and current board members Bob Pressly and Christina Rajotte.

The vote will take place from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday in the gymnasium at Gowana Middle School.