New year, new board of education in Haddonfield.
With the official introduction of Linda Baker Hochgertel at the board’s reorganization meeting last Thursday, the nine-member body greets the new calendar year with five women and four men.
Joining Hochgertel are Heather Paoli, Susan Kutner, Jaime Auletto Grookett and Lynn Howard-Hoag.
Hochgertel was elected to a three-year term in November to replace Matthew Ritter, who did not seek reelection. Grookett and David Siedell were sworn in to begin their new three-year terms.
Superintendent Larry Mussoline recalled another instance from his decades in academic administration where a majority of women presided over a district’s educational matters.
“I was there for a board, it might have been out in Downingtown (Pa. Area School District), where there were six, if not seven women,” he recalled. “They’re (Haddonfield’s board) all sharp individuals and I can’t be more proud and honored.”
Adam Sangillo was again voted board president, while Siedell — who was appointed board vice president in late September to replace the departed Maureen Eyles — was named to the same position of board vice president. Both were chosen by unanimous votes.
“We have a great board. We’re so lucky here in Haddonfield,” Mussoline noted. “I’ve been dealing with boards for more than 20 years and this is really an excellent group of men and women leading this district. I’m looking forward to going through with some of the policy changes.”
Among the issues expected to be debated internally and then brought into the public sphere in short order are an alteration of graduation status from traditional valedictorian and salutatorian to a college-based cum laude system that will reward more graduates for academic achievement, and whether or not to charge groups for use of athletic fields.
In other news:
- Following unanimous adoption by the board itself, Board Secretary and Assistant Business Administrator Michael Catalano formally read the District Code of Ethics for School Board Members, as required following a mandated BOE training session under rules set forth by the New Jersey Office of Administrative Law. The code itself can be found by visiting: https://tinyurl.com/rm9lyge.
- The board also formally adopted its meeting schedule for the calendar year 2020. Public BOE sessions for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year are scheduled to be held on Jan. 30, Feb. 27, March 26, April 23, May 28 and June 11.
