Greenwich Selectmen To Decide New Board Of Education Chair

GREENWICH, CT — After two deadlocked votes, time has expired for the Greenwich Board of Education to elect a new chair. The Greenwich Board of Selectmen will now step in and decide who the new chair will be during its regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, Jan. 11.

The BOE had 30 days from when new board members were sworn in to choose a chair. That deadline expired on Dec. 15, and now the Board of Selectmen will intervene, according to state statutes.

Republican Karen Kowalski and Democrat Karen Hirsh were the nominees for the chairmanship last month during two separate votes along party lines.

On Nov. 30, Kowalski was nominated by fellow Republican school board member Michael-Joseph Mercanti-Anthony.

"As chair, I am confident that she will publicly represent the whole board, and rise above sometimes the gamesmanship that unfortunately too often characterizes our local politics and sways some of the more partisan tempers in town, while facilitating our conversations in a spirit of collegiality and consensus building," Mercanti-Anthony said at the time.

Hirsh was nominated by board member Laura Kostin, a Democrat. Kostin recounted Hirsh's volunteer work within Greenwich Public Schools.

"In the years that Ms. Hirsh devoted her time advocating for our schools, our students and their families, she also built relationships with others in town government regardless of party affiliation. I've yet to meet anyone who hasn't enjoyed working with her," Kostin said. "She was repeatedly elected to leadership positions on these boards because she is a leader, and I can say with authority that not one person on this board, not a single one, has worked with five superintendents, except Ms. Hirsh, and she did so seamlessly and collaboratively. I believe experience matters and leadership matters."

Kowalski was again nominated by Mercanti-Anthony on Dec. 14. Hirsh was nominated by Kathleen Stowe. The eight-person board voted 4-4 again.

The BOE held three votes at the end of 2022 before it decided on a new chair in Republican Joe Kelly.

Thursday's Greenwich Board of Selectmen meeting will begin at 10 a.m., and live-streamed on Greenwich Community Television and Zoom.

The full agenda can be found here.