Schools

BOE Revisits Decision to Have Two Vice Presidents

Eight months in, board member calls foul on president's decision to have two VPs.

The policy committee will address the matter of having one too many vice presidents, the board decided Thursday night.

During the , BOE President Frank Calabria, faced with a newly reconstituted board split into two adversarial factions, opted to appoint two vice presidents, veteran member Frank Neglia and newly elected Susy Golderer.

Calabria said at the time this move was likely inconsistent with board bylaws, but he would deal with disapproval when it arose.

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The disapproval finally came eight months later, at Thursday's meeting, when member Deborah Orme spoke out against the bylaw violation.

She said she understood the president's motivation for installing two vice presidents, but that did not make what he did correct.

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"The board has an obligation to be in compliance with state regulations and our bylaws," she said. 

Calabria took in Orme's statement and agreed.

"I overrule the chair," he said, referring to himself, "because he was wrong."

Calabria said he believes there may be a precedent for two vice presidents—a specifically titled first vice president and second vice president. Even so, he said he should have taken the time to make sure he was operating to the letter of the law.

"In my zeal to move on, I didn't allow particular persons to vote," he said, acknowledging that his May move got in the way of Orme casting a vote.

For her part, Orme took the board to task for not addressing the possibility that the body was in violation of the regulations.

"We've had many, many months. No one has remanded it to the [BOE] Policy Committee. I think there has been adequate time for board members to [take action]," she said, urging her fellow board members to remand the vice-president issue to the committee.

Board member Gary Martin introduced a motion echoing Orme's words; Michael Strumolo seconded.

Board member Sharif Shansudin said if there are some areas with a first and second vice president, the board should discuss it.

"Having two vice presidents is better for the district, for the people," Martin said.

The board unanimously voted to send the issue to the policy committee for consideration. That panel will decide whether they can continue with first and second vice presidents or if they will revert to tradition and make a choice between Golderer and Neglia.


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