The Collingswood Board of Education reconvened Jan. 5 to resume a reorganization meeting that had ended in a deadlock over the board presidency. After repeated tied ballots for president, members agreed to postpone further ballots for that office, elected a vice president by ballot and completed the board’s annual appointments and policy votes.

Board members Roger Chu and Kelly (named in the record as Kelly Maia/Maya) had both accepted nominations for president and were the focus of multiple endorsements and questions from colleagues and community members. The board secretary read ballots aloud several times; after one such count the secretary announced, “We are tied again,” and discussion continued about procedure and options, including involvement by the county superintendent if the board failed to reorganize by the statutory deadline of Jan. 7.

To keep the meeting moving, a majority of members voted to move on to the vice president ballot. Zakiya/Zakia (first name recorded in the meeting) was nominated, accepted and was elected vice president by ballot; the secretary read members’ votes in favor, and the newly elected vice president assumed the chair for the remainder of the agenda. Public commenters expressed appreciation for the new presiding officer and urged continued transparency across the district.

With a presiding officer in place, the board approved its annual calendar of meetings and adopted existing district policies and job descriptions on roll-call votes. On the superintendent’s recommendation the board also appointed Beth Anne Coleman as the district’s public agency compliance officer for the 2025–2026 school year; that appointment was approved by roll call.

Community members who spoke during public comment urged clearer, broader communication about decisions that affect taxpayers — particularly after last year’s tax increase and a recent referendum. One speaker said the committee-of-the-whole format is more transparent and called for board leaders to ensure outreach reaches residents who are not already engaged.

The meeting returned briefly to the presidential ballot later in the agenda; after additional ballots the secretary reported, “We have a president.” The record of votes read during the roll call contained multiple votes recorded for Kelly. The board then moved to adjourn.

The board’s reorganization sequence illustrated two procedural points emphasized during the meeting: (1) local boards face a narrow statutory window to reorganize in early January, and (2) when members are unable to reach a majority for an office the county superintendent may be asked to choose between the top candidates if the board cannot resolve the matter before the statutory deadline. The board left in place its newly elected vice president and completed the listed appointments and policy adoptions before adjourning.