Final candidate interviewed

Central Valley - Monroe-Woodbury School Board President Claire Perez said she expects she and her colleagues will be able to reach a consensus on a new school superintendent by the board’s Nov. 9 meeting. The last of the three finalists for the district’s top administrative job - Debra M. Lynker, the superintendent of schools for Livingston Manor schools in Sullivan County - was interviewed a week ago Friday. “We’ll be doing final reference checks and criminal background checks,” Perez said earlier this week. “We want to do it right.” At stake is a position that carries a salary of up to $185,000. Whoever holds the job will oversee a budget of more than $117 million, 1,200 employees and the education of more than 7,400 students. Lynker is 53 and has been superintendent in Livingston Manor since 2003. She’s also been a math teacher and a high school principal. The other two finalists are: • Edward Q. Seto, the local instructional superintendent for New York City’s Region 7 District, which includes Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn. • Joseph A. DiLorenzo, the superintendent of schools for Port Jervis. The finalists were drawn from an initial pool of 19 queries. Each of the finalists were interview on the school campus by small focus groups representing parents, students, teachers, administrators and union and non-union staff.