By Andrew Hackmack
Bonnie Gorham, who is employed by Guercio and Guercio, announced that her resignation would take effect the following day.
Guercio and Guercio, a Farmingdale-based firm, has been being hired effective March 1 to serve as the labor counsel for the four Valley Stream school districts in its collaborative negotiations with the teacher, nurse and secretary bargaining units. It already serves as the Central High School District's general counsel. Gorham has worked at the firm for 4 1/2 years.
She abstained from the Feb. 24 vote approving the law firm's hire. Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Lison said while it was determined it would not be illegal for Gorham to remain on the board, parties on all sides felt it would be best for her to step down. "I thought that would be a conflict for me," Gorham said.
Gorham was not a member of the attorney selection committee, which included members from all four schools boards, nor did she participate in any discussion regarding the matter among District 13 board members, according to Lison. In fact, the superintendent said, Gorham would leave the room when the attorney selection process was being discussed and also asked not to receive any documents relating to the matter.
She was first elected to the board in May 2001 and re-elected in 2004 and 2007. Gorham, of Malverne, said she truly enjoyed her eight years of board service. "It's a wonderful way for somebody to give back to their community," she said.
Gorham said the biggest decision the District 13 board made during her eight years was hiring Lison as superintendent. Choosing the school's chief administrator, Gorham said, is one of the most important responsibilities a board has because that person essentially runs the district. "I was privileged to have been on the board when we hired Dr. Lison," Gorham said.
Lison's first year as superintendent, 2003-04, was the same year Gorham served as president of the District 13 Board of Education. Gorham also served one year on the Central High School District Board.
Gorham said the during her time on the board, the district has invested a lot in improving technology. That includes the resources available to teachers and students, as well as the software used to manage the district. The board has also committed itself to ensuring that students get the best education at a price the taxpayers can afford, she explained.
Overall, Gorham said she feels that residents of the district are pleased and overwhelmingly hears more compliments than complaints. Whenever she attends a school function, Gorham said she gets a positive vibe. "I always feel that the students are happy and motivated," she said.
The children of District 13 also achieve at a high level, Gorham said. "Our students do relatively well in the high schools, " she said. "There's a lot of indicators."
In her eight years, Gorham said she learned so much about what it takes to run a school district. She said that her service on the board has helped her in the field of education law, and vice versa.
Lison said Gorham's resignation, while understandable, is a loss for the district. The superintendent thanked Gorham for her service to the residents and children of the Valley Stream community. "She has given so much of her personal time to the school district," Lison said.
Board President William Stris praised Gorham for her calming influence and professional demeanor. He invited her to attend the June school board meeting to be honored along with retiring and tenured teachers.
Gorham's children attended the James A. Dever School. Her daughter Leah is now in college and her son Benjamin is a senior at North High School.
The board will keep her seat open until the May election. The winner of her seat on May 19 will assume office that night and serve out the remainder of her term through June 30, 2010. The seats of Stris and trustee Jeanne Greco-Jacobs are also up this year for full three-year terms.
Comments about this story? AHackmack@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 265.
