Vieau Elected Brighton Area Schools Board of Education President

The Brighton Area Schools Board of Education met during a special meeting Monday night to swear in newcomer Nick Fiani, Jay Krause, who was reelected to a second term, and to elect officers.

Miles Vieau was elected School Board President in a 4-3 vote, taking the place of Cheryl Leach who retired last month.

Vieau was the sole nominee for the position. Bill Anderson, Jay Krause and Beth Minert cast the dissenting votes against his election.

Vieau said that the board president's job is merely to lead the other board members through the agenda.

"It's the board members that will be doing all the work," he said. "Mostly getting agenda items out - that will be the biggest thing that I will be doing. Because in the past, board members had wanted agenda items out there and they never got out. So I'm going to make sure that the board members get the agenda items they want out there so we can talk about them, not sweep them under the rug."

Bill Anderson and Jay Krause were reelected to their positions, both in 4-3 votes, as vice president and treasurer, respectively.

In yet another 4-3 vote, Fiani nudged Minert out to become the board's secretary. Minert previously held the position since July 2007.

Fiani said he was not really surprised by his election to the position.

"As a general board member, there are several things I'm looking to do," he said. "The number one thing is removing the deficit. And of course making sure that there's a careful eye on the tax dollars we do spend. "