The Riverhead Board of Education will discuss filling the two board vacancies at a special meeting called for Wednesday morning at 9 in the Riverhead High School auditorium.
The subject of filling the vacancies created by the resignations of Ann Cotten-DeGrasse and Amelia Lantz last month touched off controversy at the board’s regular meeting last week, when board members seemed to lack enough information to discuss how the vacancies would be be filled and were unable to answer questions from the public about the process.
“Those two seats have to be filled immediately,” Susan Tocci of Flanders told the board. “We need to have checks and balances. The only one who goes against anything is Mrs. Downs,” she said, referring to member Laurie Downs, who was elected in 2016.
“To allow this board to continue with those two vacancies is unacceptable. Unacceptable. We had an election and the only people that ran were these two other people, Yolanda Thompson and Greg Fischer and I really think — whether I agree with what they say or not — I really think they should be appointed,” Tocci said.
Three candidates — incumbents Greg Meyer and Christopher Dorr and Therese Zuhoski — ran as a team for three open seats in the May electon. As the top three vote-getters, they won election. Thompson, placed fourth and Fischer fifth in the five-way race.
“I don’t understand why there’s confusion about how to fill these seats when the answer is right in front of you,” Thompson told the board last week.
New York State Education Law provides that the board of education shall have the power and the duty to fill any vacancy on the board. It can call a special election within 90 days after the vacancy occurs. It can alternatively fill the vacancy by appointment. The person appointed “shall hold his office until the next regular school district election,” according to the statute.
At the July 6 meeting, board members said they would take up the matter at the next meeting. The district clerk on Wednesday sent out a notice of the July 19 special meeting.
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