Two New Bloomingdale BOE Candidates to Be Picked Monday

The Bloomingdale Board of Education now has not one but two vacancies to fill when the board meets to interview interested candidates on March 4.

Originally, the board had planned to interview candidates and select a single new board member during a scheduled meeting Tuesday. However, the candidate interviews were pushed back and aligned with a meeting in which the board will vote whether or not to adopt the 2013-14 school budget. Although the public is no longer able to vote on the budget since the board moved to eliminate a public vote and move school board elections last year, the board still has to vote for budget adoption before it can move forward.

Business Administrator George Hagl said Monday that three candidates have expressed interest in serving on the board. The first vacancy is from former Board Member Rich Dellaripa, who was forced to vacate his position after being elected to the Bloomingdale Council in November.

The second vacancy, announced only recently, is that of Andrew Samuel. Hagl said Samuel is finishing law school and was unable to continue committing the amount of time needed.

Since the candidates vacated their seats in the new year post-election, their positions are appointed and not made by election of the general public. Should the members choose to continue serving past November, however, they would have to endure the election process.

"They can only serve until the election," Hagl said.

Hagl said he sought clarification from the county on whether the board could interview candidates and appoint two in the same meeting. He said the board is able to do so and will conduct the interviews publicly. The March 4 meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the Walter T. Bergen School library.