The East Stroudsburg Area School District Board of Education held its reorganization meeting Dec. 1, 2025, at the Carl T. Ciccar Administration Center where four newly certified directors were sworn in and officers and committee assignments for 2026 were set.

Chris Brown, solicitor for the district, told the board that the County Board of Elections had delivered certificates of election naming George C. Andrews, Jason Gollstrand, Richard Schlamis and Shanika Story as duly elected school directors, and said, “you have been officially elected.” Judge John Mark of the Court of Common Pleas administered the oath and remarked that the ceremony lets officials “celebrate the peaceful passing of power” at the local level.

Why it matters: the reorganization meeting establishes who will lead the board and which members will sit on standing committees that set policy, oversee finance and manage facilities. Those committee assignments determine who will review budgets, curriculum items and property decisions before they reach the full board.

Most motions at the meeting were approved by voice vote. The board elected Michael Catrillo president for a one-year term and selected Jason Gollstrand as vice president. The board confirmed district representatives to external bodies and populated internal committees: members were named to the Monroe Career and Technical Institute joint operating committee and alternates were designated; Helene S. Lancia was reappointed as the district’s representative to the Monroe Area Vocational-Technical School Authority; Rich Schlamis was reappointed as the district’s PSBA liaison; and Shanika Story was named the district representative to the ETAB health-insurance trust.

The board also approved committee rosters for 2026. After an amendment, the finance committee will include Rebecca Baer, Rich Schlamis, Keith Karkutch and George Andrews, with Rebecca Baer serving as finance chair. The properties and facilities, policy, and education programs and resources (EPR) committees were filled and chairs were named; Anne Cotrillo will chair the EPR committee.

On scheduling, the board reviewed regular meeting dates and committee calendars for December and January. Members discussed statutory timing for the reorganization meeting and several practical conflicts with holidays and other agencies’ meetings. Because the Carl T. Ciccar Administration Center will be closed for renovations in January, the board agreed to cancel properties and facilities and EPR committee meetings for January and to hold the finance committee meeting virtually on the second Monday of January; policy will meet as scheduled before the board meeting. The board said it will circulate a consolidated calendar by email.

Votes at a glance:
- Approval of certified/elected school directors: approved by voice vote.
- Appointment of temporary president (to preside over officer elections): approved.
- Election of board president (Michael Catrillo): approved.
- Election of vice president (Jason Gollstrand): approved.
- Appointment of MCTI representatives (Jason and George; Keith to continue): approved.
- Appointment of MCTI alternates (Shanika/Rebecca and others): approved.
- Reappointment of Helene S. Lancia to vocational-technical authority (term 12/02/2025–2030): approved.
- PSBA liaison appointment (Rich Schlamis): approved.
- ETAB/health-insurance trust representative (Shanika Story): approved.
- Finance committee membership and chair (Rebecca Baer, Rich Schlamis, Keith Karkutch, George Andrews; chair Rebecca Baer): approved.
- Properties & Facilities, Policy, EPR committee rosters and chairs: approved.
- Committee scheduling adjustments, January cancellations and virtual finance meeting: approved.

Board members and staff said the January changes reflect limited access to the administration building during renovations and the need to avoid scheduling conflicts; they directed staff to provide updated committee calendars. The meeting adjourned and an executive session followed.

Sources: statements and motions recorded at the Dec. 1, 2025 East Stroudsburg Area School District reorganization meeting; direct quotes attributed to Chris Brown, solicitor, and Judge John Mark as recorded in the meeting transcript.