School board picks only remaining candidate for vacancy

Christy wins unanimous backing; medical emergency pulls Beulke from consideration

Ann Christy’s commitment to education and serving her community paid off Monday when members of the New Prague Area School Board selected her to fill the vacancy on the board.

Christy was the unanimous selection to fill the vacancy created by Mark Bartusek’s resignation earlier this year. She will fill the remainder of the four-year term Bartusek won in 2022 and serve until Dec. 31, 2026. A special meeting to formally name Christy to the school board is slated for Friday, March 28, 8 a.m., to formalize her appointment. Christy will not be sworn-in for another 30 days, a period allowing comment on her appointment.

Christy was the lone option to fill the vacancy before the board when it met in a special meeting Monday, March 24, 5 p.m. The other candidate, Jonathan Beulke, withdrew his name from consideration because of a serious medical emergency involving a member of his family. Beulke declined a district offer to participate virtually in the interview.

Christy, a longtime classroom teacher at St. Wenceslaus Catholic School, joins the board at a time when it is facing challenging decisions involving potentially asking voters for funding for facilities and operations along with concerns about enrollment and its impact on the school district’s finances. Christy has been attending board meeting regularly for three-plus years.

“I’ve developed a sincere interest in our district, specifically at the governance level,” she said. “I just...

To see more on this story pick  up the March 27, 2025 print edition of The New Prague Times.