Morgano stays, two board members resign at Eldred

SUSAN WADE
Posted 7/3/18

ELDRED, NY — He’s staying. That was the result of the Eldred school board’s vote to rescind the resolution approved at the May 21 board meeting accepting Dr. John Morgano’s …

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Morgano stays, two board members resign at Eldred

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ELDRED, NY — He’s staying. That was the result of the Eldred school board’s vote to rescind the resolution approved at the May 21 board meeting accepting Dr. John Morgano’s resignation as Superintendent effective August 15.

The move was not surprising after the vote last week that elected Scott Hallock and passed the school budget by significant margins. The vote was viewed by many on social media as a referendum to get Morgano to reverse his decision to leave the district.

The action by the board was met with a standing ovation by the large crowd that had gathered to express their support. Morgano acknowledged the applause by saying, “I appreciate everyone’s support, and I will not let you down. We have a lot of work to do and we have an outstanding team.”

More of a surprise was the announcement that Brian Siegel and Allyson Wagner had tendered their resignations from the board via email shortly before the meeting. Siegel and Wagner often found themselves on the short end of 3-2 votes and had championed the election of an unsuccessful candidate for the board.

There was some discussion as to whether a vote was needed to accept the resignations. Stating that the board had voted in May to accept Morgano’s resignation, board president Carol Bliefernich said “I don’t have a problem with accepting them [by vote].”

Bliefernich, Hallock and Amador Laput will be responsible for appointing the new board members. It was unclear as to the terms that the newly appointed members would fill. Bliefernich said that the board has not absorbed this information yet, but that both the state law and the district policy would be reviewed. 

Bliefernich stated that nothing will be done behind the scenes and mentioned transparency a number of times during the 17-minute meeting.

She also said that a lot of the work going forward will be folded into a five-year plan.

Referring to the vote that will occur next May, she said, “You think you had a ride this year? Next year we’re going for three.”

During a public comment period, Eldred resident Jessie Powell read a tribute to Linda Bohs, for whom this was her final meeting as a board member. Said Powell, “My family moved to the district in 1992. Mrs. Bohs’s face was one of the first I saw upon entering the school. Since then, the Bohs have become family to me. Over the years, we have found each other on opposite sides of many issues. Whether we agreed or disagreed, Mama Bohs and I have always spoken to each other with kindness and respect. I can say without equivocation that every vote she has cast, every comment she has made, or every question she has asked, Mrs. Bohs has invariably done so with a heart for the students of this district. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your 40-plus years of service to our school.”

eldred, education

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