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Scranton School Board suspends vacancy rule, accepts director Tarayani's resignation
Summary
The Scranton School District Board voted to suspend a district policy on filling board vacancies and accepted Director Tarayani's resignation, triggering the 30-day statutory clock to begin and directing staff to advertise and interview candidates.
The Scranton School District Board of School Directors voted Sept. 17 to suspend district policy 004-BOG-1 on filling board vacancies and to accept the resignation of Director Tarayani, making the resignation effective Sept. 17, 2025.
Solicitor Crystal Moran told the board the special meeting’s sole purpose was to accept the written resignation submitted Sept. 12 and to address two procedural issues in the district policy that conflicted with state law. “The policy wrongly presumes that the vacancy clock begins when the letter of resignation is submitted. That's not true under Pennsylvania law,” Moran said, adding that the vacancy clock begins when the governing authority accepts the resignation.
Moran said the board would substantially follow the district policy’s process for filling the vacancy but needed to suspend it so the board could legally accept the resignation at a special meeting and maintain the full 30 days allowed under the Pennsylvania Public School Code of 1949 for filling a vacancy. She recommended advertising beginning the next day and running the solicitation through the end of the following week, noting the policy requires a minimum of 10 days’ advertising and the board would otherwise fall short.
Under the announced process, administration will publish an advertisement on the district website and in the Scranton Times soliciting resumes, letters of interest and statements of financial interest. Moran said administration will verify residency and check for delinquent real estate taxes owed to the Scranton School District, a requirement the policy specifies for applicants. The board will interview candidates in a separate room at the Monday meeting; each candidate may give a two-minute opening statement, will be asked the same agreed-upon questions, and then the board will hold a public deliberation and a roll-call vote. Moran said she will bring an oath of office and will swear in the new director; that person would be able to take a seat at the technical work session and vote at the regular meeting on Oct. 6.
On a roll-call vote, the motion to suspend policy 004-BOG-1 passed 7–1, with Miss Fox voting no. The board then amended and approved a motion to accept Director Tarayani’s resignation effective Sept. 17, 2025; the acceptance passed on roll call 8–0.
Discussion versus formal action: Moran framed the legal and procedural rationale and outlined staff responsibilities (discussion/direction). The board took two formal roll-call votes to (1) suspend the policy to allow the special-meeting acceptance and (2) accept the resignation effective Sept. 17 (decisions). The board directed administration to advertise the vacancy, vet applicants for residency and delinquent taxes, schedule interviews, and prepare the oath of office (directions).
The actions will start the 30-day period under the Pennsylvania Public School Code of 1949 in which the board may fill the vacancy before the matter would be referred to the Court of Common Pleas if not filled.
Outlook: Administration will advertise as described, close the solicitation at the end of the next week, submit candidates to the board for interviews at the Monday meeting, and return for public deliberation and a roll-call appointment vote; the newly appointed director would be sworn in and expected to be able to vote at the Oct. 6 regular meeting.
