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East Ramapo board pulls interim superintendent appointment; state monitors say board must forward candidate by July 1
Summary
The East Ramapo Central School District board removed an agenda item to appoint an interim superintendent after concerns from board members; state monitors said the board must approve a candidate at its July 1 meeting or consult the commissioner if no appointment is made.
East Ramapo Central School District trustees removed from the agenda a planned appointment of an interim superintendent after several board members raised concerns during Monday night’s meeting, leaving the district without a named superintendent as July 1 approaches.
The matter matters because state law requires a superintendent in place for the start of the school year and the board must forward any candidate to the state monitors for review and concurrence. With no appointment approved, the district risks having to consult with the New York State Education Commissioner about next steps.
Dr. Farce, identified in the meeting transcript as a state monitor, told the board that the process established in law requires the board to select a candidate and forward that recommendation to the monitors, who then review and either concur or not. "The board makes a selection. It's recommended to the monitors. The monitors then review and either concur or don't concur," Dr. Farce said during the public discussion. The monitor also said that if the district does not have a superintendent by July 1, the board will need to consult with the commissioner because "you'll be one of the first districts in the state to not have a superintendent on July 1." (Transcript evidence.)
President Rose and other board members described the item as pulled after concerns were expressed by individual board members earlier in the day; the transcript records conflicting accounts about who communicated those concerns and when. President Rose said the item was pulled because "there were concerns expressed by individual board members." Several trustees asked that the board and the monitors coordinate so the July 1 organizational meeting can include a properly vetted interim appointment.
After the item was pulled, the board voted to enter executive session to discuss "possible appointment of particular individual and contract negotiation with particular individuals." President Rose moved to enter executive session; Vice President McGill seconded the motion and the board voted to carry the motion. The board president announced that the July 1 organizational meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the PLCC Room at the Central Administration Building and will be immediately followed by a regular meeting where an interim appointment can be considered.
No candidate name is reported in the public record of this meeting. Board members and the monitors repeatedly stated that the board, not the monitors, makes the selection and then forwards it for the monitors' review. The meeting transcript shows disagreement among trustees about how concerns were raised and whether sufficient notice was given before the agenda item was pulled.
The board did not make a public appointment before adjourning; it directed that the appointment discussion continue in executive session and be returned to the public July 1. If the board does not approve an interim superintendent at the organizational meeting, the district will need to consult with the New York State Education Commissioner about emergency measures or other steps.
The board adjourned after the executive session vote and reconvened briefly to conclude other business.
