Schools

Gloucester Township BOE Spars During Reorg Meeting

Joseph Gunn and Maryanne Coyle were voted board officers, over the objection of some of the board and public.

If all the Gloucester Township Board of Education meetings are like Monday's first of the year gathering, popcorn might be sold for spectators.

To borrow a hockey term, the nine members got a little "chippy," bickering among themselves over who would be nominated and elected president and vice president.

Retired court administrator and two-year board member Joseph Gunn emerged as president by a 5-2 vote. The two dissenting votes were from Felicia Reid and Dominic Gagliardi, who was sworn in Monday as the newest board member. 

Reid had earlier nominated Ellen Reese to be president, but the nomination was not seconded and Reese withdrew her name and voted for Gunn. 

Then things really got interesting on the nomination and vote for vice president. Linda Gilch nominated Reese for vice president and Gagliardi seconded. Then Maryanne Coyle nominated Raymond Carr, the current vice president. 

A debate ensued when several members questioned if Carr could serve consecutive terms as vice president. Carr eventually withdrew. Coyle was then nominated by Edward Pearce, who was also sworn in Monday after being appointed to the board last month to fill an unexpired term. 

Gagliardi, Gilch, Reese and Reid voted for Reese. Carr, Coyle, William Fontanez and Pearce voted for Coyle. Gunn initially voted to abstain, but when board solicitor Leonard Wood told him and the board the deadlock would have to be settled by the county superintendent of schools, Gunn voted for Coyle. She became vice president over the objection of several board members, who questioned if Gunn could change his vote after initially abstaining. Wood advised he could. 

Gunn subsequently called for a motion to adjourn the meeting before a public comment portion. After several catcalls from the audience of about a dozen, Carr and the board agreed to allow public comment.

Two audience members questioned if a criminal background check on Pearce had been completed, which it had not. They questioned if Pearce should be allowed to vote since the check had not been completed. Once again, Wood stated a directive he had from the state Department of Education said Pearce could vote in proceedings before his check is completed.

Gunn then moved to adjourn the meeting again, but was delayed by Reid, who protested he had not called for board member comments. After several minutes of debate as to whether the meeting had actually been adjourned, Gunn ruled it had, but said Reid was free to say whatever she wanted. 

She protested that the comments would not be on the record, but proceeded anyway.

"We need to be careful," Reid said. "We need to tighten it up. I wish Mr. Gunn and Mrs. Coyle well, even though they would not have been my choice for president or vice president."

Gilch shook her head afterward.

"I don't know what to say about this meeting," she said.

CORRECTION: The school board solicitor at Monday's meeting was Leonard Wood. An earlier version of this story misidentified him.
 


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