Credit: Jeff Bohen/LevittownNow.com
Monday night at the Bristol Borough School Board reorganization meeting a new president and vice president were voted in and a new solicitor was hired.
Charles Groff was elected to be School Board president over former board president Ralph DiGuiseppe III by a 6-3 margin. Kelly Cochran was voted in unanimously as board vice president.
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In terms of voting, the surprise of the night was Mary Jane Potena-Paglione voting in support of Groff, which wasn’t expected, as a collective gasp could be heard from those attending the meeting.
I’m humbled that the majority of the school board have the belief and faith in me to be president and try to move the school district forward and in a different kind of direction, Groff said.
Newly sworn in and “nervous,” Cochran said, she was honored by the support of the board and hopes to add her ideas and background as an educator to the board and the children of who attend Bristol schools.
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Earlier on Monday, Groff sent and email to solicitor Bill Salerno telling him his services as the legal representative for the school district would no longer be required since board members wanted to go in another direction.
Newly sworn in school board member David Chichilitti, who had served in the same capacity for 22 years before, said he was looking forward to working on the issues that face the school district and “promised” to find out and share all the information related to the recent settlement of all the suits involving the construction of Snyder- Girotti Elementary School.
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Lou Hornstine of Hornstine, Pelloni & Hornstine was hired as Salerno’s replacement.
DiGuiseppe asked Groff, prior the board approving Hornstine, if hiring the firm had been discussed prior to Monday’s meeting pointing to the e-mail sent to Salerno earlier in the day.
Groff reiterated that the board majority wanted to go in another direction and a decision about hiring Hornstine had not been made beforehand
DiGuiseppe expressed concern about the way Salerno was treated in terms of being let go saying the former solicitor deserved better.
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Hornstine said: “Our firm is honored by the Board’s selection for us to represent them. In the ensuing weeks, we plan to meet with key members of the school district in order to ascertain the needs both immediate and long-term.”
A series of meetings with district administrators has been set for Friday as the new board seeks to evaluate their goals and priorities, LevitttownNow.com learned Wednesday.
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Groff asked what is the first thing he’d like to see at the first item on the meeting agenda at he starts his term as president said “the next school year budget.”
Reelected school board members John D’Angelo and Ralph DiGuiseppe, III were sworn in on Monday with Bristol District Court Judge Frank W, Perenteau Sr presiding.
