New school board appointments approved

The Monroe-Woodbury board of education unanimously voted to appoint two new trustees during its Wednesday, Feb. 4 meeting.

At the start of the meeting, Board of Education President Kaytlin Simmons swore in Board Members Monique Officer and Bryan Bellino, who will be filling in two vacant seats until the next board election on May 19.

“For the Board, these appointments represent more than a simple fulfillment of vacancies; They are a strategic integration of community leaders, with specialized expertise, who are deeply invested in the academic success of our students and operational success of our schools,” Simmons wrote in a statement released to the district.

Committee reports

During the meeting, Student Representative Zoe Irabor provided an update on her previous high school visitation report, where a student expressed concerns about students leaving the school property during gym classes.

She noted that she received reassurance that the high school side doors are armed and alerts security guards if they are opened. She added that the school also contains high-quality cameras both inside and outside, and that gym teachers are equipped with walkies in case such incidents happen.

In addition, Board Member Jeffrey Reynolds and Assistant Superintendent for Business and Management Services Patrick Cahill provided an update on the district’s capital project.

Cahill explained that they reviewed phase one and started phase two of the project. Phase two includes work on the tennis courts outside Central Valley Elementary, as well as HVAC and roof work at Pine Tree Elementary.

Superintendent Dr. Tracy Norman remarked that the project will cause operations to change in the near future at some district buildings, including in Pine Tree Elementary and the Harriman Center. He emphasized that the district will continue to communicate to residents on the matter.

“This is the beginning of a lot of major work and we acknowledge that it can be disruptive,” Norman said. “That’s just a part of the process...We know that we’ve been meeting in certain places for years, we have routines, and now that’s going to change.”