Cobb Tabbed As Nurse in Last-Minute Agenda Change

In a move that raised a few eyebrows, the West Deptford school board modified the meeting agenda midway through the meeting meeting, as they voted, 7-2, Monday night to approve Cindy Cobb as a nurse at .

Several board members had arrived at the main meeting about 10 minutes late, after an extensive debate in a committee session, which at least partially involved Cobb’s proposed hiring.

Then, 10 minutes into the meeting, and well after the board opened and closed public comment on agenda items, Superintendent Kevin Kitchenman copied and pasted Cobb’s hiring on to the final electronic version of the school board’s agenda.

It was the insertion of the agenda item in the middle of the meeting that bothered several people.

John Hayden, who ran for school board earlier this year, said it’s moves like that one that contribute to the perception that the school board is less than forthcoming about its actions.

“That’s the kind of stuff that needs to be stopped,” he said.

At very least, Hayden said, the board should’ve mentioned the addition before opening the meeting to the public for comment on agenda items, or, failing that, tabled the hire until the July 18 meeting.

While there was one question during the public session directed at the board about the last-minute change, the addition otherwise went without public complaint.

Christopher Strano, the board’s president, and along with Kate Cargill, one of the two no votes, said it had to be reviewed in committee before getting on the agenda, which didn’t happen until just before Monday’s main meeting, which accounted for the delay.

Board vice-president Jim Mehaffey said Cobb, who is the wife of former West Deptford township committeeman John Cobb, was ultimately selected from a pool of 12 applicants; eight of those candidates were interviewed, with three in the final interview process.

Those interviews took place before a four-person panel, consisting of a teacher, principal, elementary school nurse and a member of the community.

Mehaffey said Cobb, who has been a registered professional nurse since June 1994, won out because of her experience and qualifications.