Vice Chairman Peter Jonaitis Resigns From Enfield Board Of Education

ENFIELD, CT — Peter Jonaitis, vice chairman of the Enfield Board of Education who is in the midst of his fourth term, has submitted his resignation to chair Charlotte Riley, effective following the board's last scheduled meeting of the calendar year on Dec. 10.

Jonaitis, who taught social studies in the Enfield school system for nearly 40 years, announced his decision at the Nov. 26 meeting. He gave a number of reasons for his decision, but a major factor was public criticism by fellow board members and a lack of action on suggestions he made within his own party's caucuses.

"The only thing I have accomplished is getting four minutes for speakers to speak during audience participation [at meetings]," he said. "Chairman Riley has done an outstanding job in getting us through the financial crisis that this board inherited. I will never forgive this board for cutting the middle school sports and the ninth grade sports programs."

After serving six years in the 2010s, Jonaitis stepped away from politics, but decided to seek a spot back on the board in 2023.

"The only reason I ran was I was very extremely disappointed in the previous board," he said at the meeting. "Stupid reason to run, I know."

He said he endured numerous scathing remarks, particularly about his teaching style.

"I am very proud of my teaching career," he said, recalling how he took hundreds of students on educational ventures to Europe, the Soviet Union, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and many states.

He concluded his remarks by stating, "I wish for Enfield to have the best education it can afford, for the dedicated teachers, for the dedicated auxiliary staff, for the administrators, for the central office employees, for this board of education and the next board, and above all, for all the kids in the Enfield Public Schools."

Board member Phil Kober said, "I think his experience and his leadership were strong assets to our team, and his focus on identifying issues and proposing solutions should serve as a model for us."

Kelly Hemmeler, chair of the Enfield Republican Town Committee, told Patch, "Mr. Jonaitis has served the community with dedication, and his contributions are appreciated."

She said the Enfield Republican candidate review committee will convene in early January to begin the process of choosing a replacement. Any registered Republican interested in applying for the seat is encouraged to contact Hemmeler at kelly@khbiznet.com to request an application.