Abstentions Pepper School Board Officer Votes

The Board of Education on Tuesday in separate votes chose Melissa Peters as its president and Laurie Cannon second in command on votes where the board’s newest members declined to participate.

Peters coasted to the panel’s top spot on an unanimous, 8-0, vote at the board’s regular meeting, held at the . Laurie Cannon made the nomination. There were no others. Board member Eva Applegate was absent.

Cannon, however, did not receive support from board newcomers John Tavis, Anne Moonan or Robin Cervantes. Each abstained from the vote.

None of the trio cited a conflict or explained why they chose not to participate in the vote.

Cervantes, Moonan and Tavis, .

Earlier, a nomination for Tavis to take the vice president spot was shot down when Cannon, Peters, Donald Herbert, and Deidre Kukucka voted against the move.

Board newcomers Tavis, Cervantes and Moonan voted in favor. Moonan made the nomination.

Tonzola, also a newcomer who could have knotted the board in a 4-4 tie with an affirmative vote or sided with the majority, made the only statement.

“I have a personal preference that no first-year person should be either president or vice president,” he said.

Tonzola, who also did not cite a conflict, abstained from the vote. Tavis’ nomination died 4-3.

The votes were made necessary by the , who relinquished her duties as the board’s president in August, citing personal reasons. Applegate will continue on the board through her term, which expires in 2013.