Some new faces will be wielding the gavel at meetings of the regional school committee in the coming fiscal year as town boards held reorganization sessions on Monday, May 22 and Tuesday, May 23.
The School Committee kicked things off Monday by electing Beth Stafford as the new chair by a 8-2 vote on a first ballot. Fred Small had also been nominated.
The committee reorganization was the only agenda item. Hanson member Glen DiGravio attended remotely by phone.
Presiding until a chair had been voted, Superintendent of Schools Jeff Szymaniak also welcomed new Hanson member Steve Cloutman, who was elected to fill out the final two years of former Chair Christopher Howard’s term after he resigned earlier this spring. Szymaniak also congratulated Whitman members Steve Bois and David Forth on their re-elections as well as Hanson member Hillary Kniffen, who was also re-elected on Saturday,, May 20.
The Vice Chair selection took two ballots after nominees Fred Small and David Forth were deadlocked with five votes each, Steve Bois had also been nominated for the first vote, but withdrew is name by voting against himself. On a second ballot, Chris Scriven threw his hat into consideration, winning the vote by a vote of 6-4.
Steve Bois was elected treasurer by unanimous vote with Dawn Byers elected assistant treasurer by 9-1 vote. David Forth received 9 votes to 1 be selected secretary-clerk.
Subcommittees and new membership for the Regional Agreement Committee were delayed until the committee’s next meeting in order to give new members time to familiarize themselves with the available subcommittee assignments.
The select boards held reorganization sessions Tuesday, where Hanson kept its officers from last year – chaired by Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett, with Joe Weeks again serving as vice chair and Ann Rein elected as clerk once more.
It was back to the future in Whitman, with Dr. Carl Kowalski voted as chair, Dan Salvucci as vice chair and Justin Evans as clerk. Evans was also selected as the board’s liaison to the Regional Agreement Committee, while Hanson tabled their committee and subcommittee assignments until their board members can review their present commitments, although new member David George volunteered to serve as liaison to the Veterans Serives Officer and the Police Department. He is a veteran who worked in law enforcement before retiring.