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Paterson board initially rejects superintendent personnel recommendations, reconsiders and re‑votes with split results
Summary
The board first failed to approve the superintendent's personnel recommendations (3 yes, 5 no, 1 recusal), then voted to reconsider and held a second roll call with item‑level exceptions and mixed tallies; the transcript records recusal(s) and multiple commissioners raising concerns.
At the May 6 Paterson Public School District workshop, the board debated the superintendent's personnel recommendations and first voted them down before invoking a procedural reconsideration and re‑voting.
When the board first voted on Item 2 (the superintendent's personnel recommendations for adoption at the May 6 meeting), the roll call produced three affirmative votes, five negative votes and one recusal; the president announced ‘‘It doesn't pass. And 1 recusal.’’ Commissioner Freeman told the board during that discussion, ‘‘I'm voting no. I have some concerns, so I'm voting no.’’
After procedural discussion about whether a recused member could move to reconsider, a motion to reconsider was put before the board and passed on roll call. The board then re‑considered the personnel recommendations. The second roll call produced mixed results with commissioners noting exceptions for certain individual personnel items (transcript references H‑80, H‑111 and E‑2100 and item‑level variations). The transcript records shifting tallies across subitems and at least one recusal.
Why it matters: Personnel recommendations affect individual employees and the district's ability to staff schools for the coming year. Several commissioners expressed concerns about specific items and asked for item‑level votes or exceptions rather than blanket approval.
What the board said: Commissioner Freeman said he would vote no on the personnel item as submitted and asked for fairness to staff affected by reductions. Legal counsel and other commissioners debated the proper procedure for reconsideration when a member had recused themselves. Several commissioners asked for clarifications and noted that some votes on subitems were recorded differently (the transcript shows item‑level exceptions and recusal notations).
Next steps: The transcript shows the second vote recorded item‑level results; the administration will proceed according to those approved personnel actions. The board did not provide further public discussion of appeals or additional procedural actions in the workshop before entering executive session.
Source: Board discussion and roll calls during the May 6 workshop meeting transcript.
