Fayston vacancy opens up on Harwood school board

December 20, 2025 | By Lisa Scagliotti 

For the second time in two months, Fayston is in need of a new member to join the Harwood Unified Union School District School Board. 

Last week, Rebecca Baruzzi resigned, explaining that she’s taking a new job that will prevent her from continuing to serve on the school board. She told Waterbury Roundabout that she accepted a position to be executive director of the United Way Windham County in Brattleboro, and likely will be relocating there. In her email to her fellow board members, she said she was sharing “bittersweet news,” given the new work opportunity and the consequences for her board service. 

Baruzzi was elected in March to a full three-year term on the Harwood school board, which runs until Town Meeting Day in March 2028. Baruzzi said she had hoped to remain on the board through the March 2026 election, but learned that her position could not be warned for the March election if she was still serving, given that her term ends in 2028. Given that, she said she was stepping down on Friday. 

The Harwood board has 14 members, four of whom represent Waterbury. The other five towns – Duxbury, Moretown, Fayston, Waitsfield and Warren – have two members each. 

In November, the board appointed Langford Davidson to represent Fayston, filling a vacancy that opened in October when Mike Bishop resigned. Davidson was the lone applicant for the position and his appointment runs through Town Meeting Day in March. He told the Waterbury Roundabout that he intends to run in March for the remaining year on that term. 

Seeking applicants

Harwood Superintendent Mike Leichliter on Friday shared an announcement that the school board would like to fill Baruzzi’s seat in early January with an appointee who would serve until the Town Meeting Day election on March 3. The remaining two years on Baruzzi’s term would then be open for Fayston voters to fill in the local election.

When a board opening becomes available in between elections, the board makes an appointment with the new member serving just until the next regular election. The appointee can then step down or run for election. 

Although the time for a Fayston appointee to serve is short, it comes at a critical time of year as the school board is working to determine the budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year that will be put to the voters on March 3. 

A key requirement for appointment is that applicants must reside in Fayston. “While no prior board experience is required, an open mind, a willingness to learn, and a commitment to serving our schools and communities are essential,” the board’s announcement states. 

The announcement touts the roles as an important opportunity for public service. “Members gain valuable insight into education policy, community engagement, and the democratic process,” it states. 

The school board’s regular meeting schedule has two meetings per month on Wednesday evenings, starting at 6 p.m. and running until about 9 p.m. Occasionally, additional meetings are added if needed. Board members also are volunteers. 

Applicants for the Fayston board seat should email a letter of interest and resume sharing their background, experience, and reasons they would like to serve on the board to Board Chair Ashley Woods at awoods@huusd.org and Leichliter at mleichliter@huusd.org. Applications are due by 4 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 9.

The board would like to make the appointment at its Jan. 14 meeting. Candidates would meet with the full board at that time for a brief interview. The board also will share applications with the Fayston Selectboard. The district gives local town governing boards the opportunity to make recommendations on school board appointments that arise in between local elections.  

More information about serving on the school board is online at huusd.org, including a page with frequently asked questions about joining the board.