The Hamilton Southeastern School Board’s annual election of officers, once a largely routine exercise marked by unanimous or near-unanimous votes, reflected the current divisions on the board Wednesday night. Two separate votes were required to select board leadership for 2026, and both ended with 4–3 margins.

Tiffany Pascoe was elected board president for 2026, with Dawn Lang chosen as vice president and Ben Orr selected to serve as board secretary. The slate was approved on a 4–3 vote, with Pascoe, Lang, Orr and Juanita Albright voting in favor. Suzanne Thomas, Sarah Parks-Reese and Latricia Schooley voted against the measure.

Earlier in the meeting, Schooley offered an alternative motion naming Thomas as president, Pascoe as vice president and Parks-Reese as secretary. That proposal failed on a 4–3 vote. Thomas, Schooley and Parks-Reese supported the motion, while Pascoe, Lang, Albright and Orr voted no.

In other business Wednesday night, the board approved changes to the Teacher Appreciation Grant program to align the local policy with recent changes in state law. The revised statute reduces the number of grants awarded but increases the size of the payouts for teachers who receive them.

Chief Financial Officer Tim Brown also reported the results of the district’s most recent audit, which produced no findings — the best possible outcome for administrators. Brown told the board that state requirements now mandate school districts of HSE’s size to move from a cash-based accounting system to an accrual method. He said the district has completed the transition to the new accounting system.