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BLOOMINGDALE - Another resignation hits school board
(by Deborah Walsh - Staff Writer - November 26, 2008)
BLOOMINGDALE - After not receiving a resignation in three months, the school board once again finds itself in the position of needing to fill a vacant board seat.
At its Nov. 17 school board meeting, the board accepted with regret the resignation of Karen Dellaripa. Dellaripa had served on the board for less than a year. She was appointed to a vacant seat last January and ran for a three-year term in April.
George Hagl, school district business administrator, said Dellaripa cited as the reason for her resignation a new business opportunity that would not permit her enough time to dedicate to the board. The board will seek to fill the seat at its Jan. 5 meeting, where it intends to interview all applicants.
At the Nov. 17 meeting, John Pituch, school board president, said, “We accept this resignation with regret. Karen did an excellent job. She was very conscientious and committed.”
The district is soliciting letters of interest in the vacant seat. All applicants must be citizens and have resided in the Bloomingdale School District for a year preceding his or her appointment. Applicants must be able to read and write and registered to vote in the district, and must not be disqualified as a voter pursuant to R.S. 19:4-1. Additionally, applicants cannot hold a claim against the district or have a contract with the district.
Potential applicants who want more information about the role and responsibilities of school board members can contact Cathie Sousa, field representative for the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJBSA), toll free at 888-886-5722 or can visit the NJBSA Web site at njsba.org.
Those interested in the seat should submit a letter of interest and/or resume to the Bloomingdale Board of Education, Attn: George Hagl, school business administrator, 225 Glenwild Ave., Bloomingdale, NJ 07403. Letters should be submitted by Jan. 5 at 4 p.m.
The board has been plagued by resignations this year. In January, Dellaripa was appointed to the board after Board Member Dean Specchio was forced to resign due to this election to the Borough Council in November. In April, the board would not have had enough candidates to fill open school board seats if Winifred O’Leary did not step forward as a write-in candidate.
At its May 5 meeting, the board appointed Karen Peterson to fill the school board seat vacated by Board Trustee Dennis DiLorenzo, who resigned in February. At its June 16 meeting, the school board selected Paul Bastante to fill the seat vacated by James Soules in April.
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