Jason Mattison will be new school board President, Trish Haggerty voted in as Vice-President
Former board President Al Mosher: “I hope the new Board is successful and our children remain our focus”
By Andrew Harris, pictured are Mattison and Haggerty
“Elections have consequences,” quipped former US President Barack Obama. That couldn’t have been more true for the Wellsville Central School District. The district released this statement today:
Wellsville School Board Elects New President
WELLSVILLE, N.Y. – Jason Mattison, a newly elected member of the Wellsville Central School Board of Education, was elected as the president of the board during Tuesday evening’s school board meeting.
Mr. Mattison, a lifelong resident of Wellsville, was elected to the school board on May 21 to a three-year term, which began July 1. He and his wife, Vicky, have five children and live in Wellsville.
The board also welcomed Trish Haggerty and Dr. Robert Gilfert to their ranks. Both were elected May 21 and started their three-year terms on July 1.
Mrs. Haggerty and her husband, Sean, live in Wellsville with their two children. Dr. Gilfert and his wife, Hope, have been Wellsville residents for 34 years and their three children are graduates of Wellsville High School.
They will be joining our current school board members Al Mosher, Kathleen Murphy, Rex Olson, and Steven Pettenati.”
Jason Mattison was nominated by Dr. Robert Gilfert and approved with a 4-3 vote.
Mattision then nominated Trish Haggerty for the Vice-President role and was voted into office with the same 4-3 tally.
The votes were split between the returning board members and newly elected members. Current board member Kate Murphy was the deciding vote for the new leadership. Murphy summed up her decision:
“We needed change. The community was frustrated and felt like board wasn’t listening to them.”
Haggarty is ready to get to work and had this to say about her new role:
“I am honored and humbled that my colleagues on the school board have entrusted me with the role of Vice President for the 2024-2025 academic year. I am eager to dive in, learning everything I can about our district’s operations, our dedicated faculty and staff, and most importantly, our students.
Our immediate priority is to search for and fill the Superintendent vacancy left by the departure of Dave Foster. While Dave’s contributions will be hard to replace, the board is committed to finding not only a highly qualified candidate but also someone who fits seamlessly with our community and will serve our students, faculty, and staff to the highest standard.
As I, along with the other new board members, acclimate to our roles, we join the existing board in recognizing the importance of understanding the needs and aspirations of all our constituents. We are committed to engaging with students, faculty, staff, and community members, and actively listening to their insights on how we can collectively enhance the experience for everyone in our district.”
New board President Jason Mattison had this to say as he begins a term of leading the school board:
“I greatly appreciate the ongoing support that helps our Wellsville School District excel. As the new President, I am dedicated to fostering open and collaborative dialogues that prioritize the interests of our students, staff, and community. We have numerous tasks ahead of us, yet our foremost priority is to initiate the search for a new superintendent.”
