HOBOKEN – Last night, the Board of Education appointed dedicated school volunteer Irene Sobolov to an empty board seat that had been recently vacated by Phil DeFalco.
The board unanimously picked Sobolov, who was called the “de facto ambassador” of the district by a supportive parent who spoke on her behalf.
Although all eight members agreed on Sobolov, board member Maureen Sullivan wanted Scott Delea, local volunteer and fund raiser, to be considered. Seven candidates submitted their resumes to the board and were interviewed in closed session. Sullivan was the sole board member to vote for the interviews to take place in public session.
Other board members said the board will revisit their interview procedures in the future, but did not want to change their process at the last minute.
The board also tabled part of a controversial measure that would shuffle students to different facilities next year. The shuffling attempts to deal with renovations at the Connors School building for the next few years, and also the increase in younger children in the district.
The Connors students will be moving into the Demarest School building next year.
The Demarest Alternative High School students will be moved into the Hoboken High School building next year, as will all eighth grade students in the district.
The biggest concern about the measure to parents at the meeting was the Brandt School, which presently only contains pre-school and kindergarten. It will not be expanding to first through third grades, as was nearly promised to the parents by the former administration.
The current administration believes the Brandt School will need space for a possible large influx of 3-to-5 year-old children, and would rather save space for those children than expand up to third grade.
The board tabled part of the resolution pertaining to Brandt and will reevaluate the needs of the district and revisit the Brandt situation going forward.
Board Secretary David Anthony also announced his resignation, effective at the end of the school year. – TJC