School Board Moves Meetings to Wednesdays

The Board of Education of the School District of the Chathams unanimously voted Monday to move their meetings to Wednesday nights — at least for a while.

Board member Jill Weber, newly installed as the board's vice president for the second consecutive year, suggested the board "try for a few months" to have the meetings on Wednesdays so they do not conflict with meetings of the Chatham Borough Council or Chatham Township Committee.

The issue was proposed as part of the board's annual reorganization activities Monday. Two schedules were proposed, one where the 2013-14 meetings take place on Mondays, as the board has done since 1988, and one where the board meets on Wednesdays.

The first vote taken was on the question of having meetings on Wednesdays, the second vote taken was on approving the proposed schedule. Both passed unanimously.

"We can see if there's a conflict we couldn't foresee," Weber said, and "revisit it in a couple months."

Superintendent Dr. Michael LaSusa said given the short notice and the board's history of having meetings on Mondays, "there might be a few dates coming up" which will conflict with board meetings, such as the Chatham High School PTO, which meets on the third Wednesday of each month.

The board also voted 7-1 to retain Thomas K. Belding as its president. Board Member Al Burgunder cast the sole nay vote.

"In the past we've always had a tradition of switching presidents every two years between [a representative from] the borough and the township," Burgunder said.

This will be Belding's third year as president. He is currently in the second year of his second three-year term on the board as a representative of Chatham Borough.

Weber, also a borough representative on the board, will serve as its vice president for the second consecutive year.

Phil Franz of Chatham Borough and John Nonnenmacher and Matt Gilfillan of Chatham Township were all sworn in for their three-year terms on the board at the commencement of the meeting.