Two items from last month to remain on the school board agenda
New officers, trustees sworn in during organizational meeting.
Natalya Lakhtakia was installed as president of the Saratoga Springs City School Board of Education and Beth Braxton as vice president during the board’s organizational meeting, July 7, 2025. No other board members were nominated for the positions. Lakhtakia is starting her third three-year term on the board. Braxton is in her first term.
Sworn in with Lakhtakia for her third term were two new board members, Ashley Fogarty and Leigh Wilton, both serving their first terms as trustees on the school board.
“I want to thank Angie,” said Tony Krackeler who served as vice president last year, referring to Anjeanette Emeka, who served as president last year. “It’s been a pleasure serving with you this year and [with] Natalya the last couple of years.”
“I want to wish you two best of luck next year,” he said to Lakhtakia and Braxton.
“I just want to welcome Ashley and Leigh. Congratulations and welcome to the Board of Education and Natalya and Beth for their new leadership positions. I’m looking forward to working with both of you in your new leadership roles,” Superintendent Michael Patton said.
The meeting quickly shifted to committee assignments, which will be made at coming meetings, and Lakhtakia asked that each email a list of their preferred committees.
As well, a couple items that remain unresolved made the list of agenda items for the coming year: metal detecting wands and the state-mandated cell phone ban in schools.
Trustee Connie Woytowich said she was absent from the June meeting of the board in which the issue of metal detecting wands was removed from the draft Code of Conduct. Much of the discussion around the wands involved using them to detect vaping devices and, somewhat, weapons.
“We've had community members coming saying the vaping in the bathrooms is out of control. We've had board members say the vaping in the bathroom is out of control,” she told the board. She wondered aloud about instances of some activity that did not make it into the report that the board saw regarding this, wanting to make sure the board considered all data. “I want to say I'm definitely open, open to continuing the discussion and supporting our administration.”
Administrators at the June meeting had advocated for the inclusion of a limited use of wands in the schools as needed.
The code itself has not been approved and will be taken up in the next meeting later this month. Patton said they would continue to gather information and report on progress being made.
Trustee Matt Kopans said he plans to bring a motion that the board produce a report on how well the cell phone ban is working. He said he hopes the report would be completed early next year.
Officially the “Distraction Free Schools Law,” the “cell phone ban” as it is more commonly known, applies to all ‘school districts, charter schools, and boards of cooperative services (BOCES). Each educational organization should review existing policies and/or work to update their policies in accordance with the minimum standards established by law by August 1st, 2025,” says a website set up by the governor’s office.
Eight of the nine trustees were present at the organizational meeting.
Lakhtakia received seven votes for president from herself, Beth Braxton, Anjeanette Emeka, Ashley Fogarty, Matthew Kopans, Tony Krackeler, and Leigh Wilton. Connie Woytowich voted against Lakhtakia. Braxton received unanimous approval. Trustee Deborah Amory was absent.
Correction: We inadvertently ran the wrong number of terms that Lakhtakia has been a trustee. She is starting her third term on the board.
Correction - It is Board Member Lakhtakia’s 3rd term of service - not her 2nd