Search For New Pennsbury School Board Member Underway

The search for a new Pennsbury School Board member for Falls Township Region 3 officially began Thursday night.

The school board unanimously voted to accept Debbie DeBlasio’s resignation. DeBlasio was not in attendance at the meeting and had submitted her resignation letter in late January after a district attorney’s investigation found her primary residence was out of state. DeBlasio disputes the finding of the investigation.

What happens next?

School board President Gary Sanderson said applications and letters of interest for Region 3 residents who want to fill the position must be mailed to the board secretary by next Thursday. Officials will then review the letters and resumes, possibly hold interviews and vote on the new member at the March 5 meeting.

Those interested in the position can mail their letters of intent and resumes to board secretary Dan Rogers at 134 Yardley Avenue, Fallsington, Pa. 19058. All letters must be received by next Thursday, Sanderson said.

By state law, the board has until March 12 to fill the seat.

The person picked to fill the seat would be able to run to fill the vacancy come the spring primary election and fall general election.

New board policy

The board approved a new policy at their Thursday meeting that clearly outlines how members can attend meetings via electronic means like telephone or video. The policy comes after DeBlasio attended more than a dozen meetings via speakerphone, sometimes, admittedly speaking from her home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The new policy says board members should give at least one day notice to the board president when they’ll have to attend via electronic means. It also says board members are not permitted to attend by electronic means more than twice a year, unless otherwise voted on by the board.

No Board member shall participate in a meeting remotely, whether via speaker phone, teleconferencing and/or videoconferencing,more than two times during any calendar year,provided however that the Board, by majority vote,may allow a Board member to participate remotely on more than two occasions when conditions or circumstances justify such additional remote participation.

DeBlasio told LevittownNow.com in an exclusive interview that her resignation was not in response to a petition asking her to step down but because she wanted to minimize the distraction. “Nobody’s opinion on what was best was better than my own,” she said.

DeBlasio took office in December 2013.

Related:

• EXCLUSIVE: Pennsbury Board Members Speak Out After DeBlasio’s Resignation
• DeBlasio To Be Replaced On Township Of Falls Authority
• Pennsbury School Board Member DeBlasio Resigns Following Controversy
• DeBlasio Shows Up In Person At Pennsbury Meeting
• Investigation Into Whether Pennsbury School Board Member Is Living In Myrtle Beach Ends