By Matt Hampton
The decision, the first of several important choices by the board in the next month, has been under consideration since Sewanhaka board trustee Carol Parker-Duncanson announced her resignation last month. �We are thrilled to appoint Miss Ferrigno,� Elmont board President Frank Ragona said. �As the senior board member at the elementary level and an alumni of Sewanhaka High School, we think she�s a perfect fit for representation at that level.�
Ferrigno is the longest-serving member of the Elmont board, and Ragona acknowledged that her familiarity with Sewanhaka made her an obvious choice for the Sewanhaka seat. He also announced that she would keep the position after next month�s reorganizational meeting. Next year, he said, the seat on the high school board will be �established as an annually appointed position.�
Parker-Duncanson, who was in her first term on the Elmont board, said in a letter to her fellow board members that she stepped down because she felt she could no longer fulfill her obligation to the district due to time constraints.
On July 7, the Elmont board will name the resident they have selected to finish the remainder of Parker-Duncanson�s three-year term as an Elmont trustee, a task it has been occupied with for several weeks.
Ragona said in a recent interview that board members want to be sure they select someone for whom the interests of the district will be the top priority. He said that as parents struggle with the difficult economy, it is now more important than ever to be sure that students are getting the funding and attention they need from those who are responsible for enriching their education.
�We�re just doing a little brainstorming amongst ourselves right now, people we know who have been involved and expressed interest in the past,� Ragona said. �It�s a tough call, doing things like this quickly, but we like to operate with a full board. We feel things get done more efficiently that way.�
The board has had difficulty getting everyone to attend its recent meetings. Trustee Pamela Byer, whose term expires next week, has missed seven consecutive meetings, including all of the meetings concerning the Elmont school budget, which voters passed in April.
Byer elected not to run for re-election, and will be replaced by local resident and parent Patrick Emeagwali at the July 7 meeting.
The duties and positions of the new trustees will also be established at the meeting, which is scheduled for 8 p.m. at the Elmont Road School in Elmont.
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