Voters in Highland on May 20 will see two candidates vie for two available seats on the School Board. Incumbent Alan Barone will run for re-election and former Highland School Board member, Heather Welch, will fill the second space on the ballot. The positions are three-year terms.
Welch is running for the seat currently held by board member Kim Sweeney, whose three-year term is ending. Welch served on the board previously as an appointee, replacing former trustee Maria Peterson, who resigned in the fall of 2011. Welch ran to keep the seat in the following year’s election, but lost to current board members Debbie Pagano and Michael Bakatsias. Welch has a background in accounting and business and graduated from Highland High School in 2000.
Barone is a lifelong Highland resident with a background in the construction industry. His three sons all went through the Highland school system and he has been a member of the School Board for over a decade, serving in previous years as its vice president and currently as president of the board. Barone has an extensive background in community service including Highland Little League, CYO basketball and as a volunteer firefighter.
Look for an interview with the candidates in next week’s New Paltz Times.
Join the family! 
