School Board Members Name New Trustee, Say Goodbye to Another

The has nine members again after the board named Susan Swietkowski as the newest trustee Thursday night.

School board President Paul Liddy asked three candidates--Donna Firriolo, Swietkowski and Rusty Miller--the same five questions in public session Thursday. Each candidate had . Traditionally, board members from the municipality where the vacancy is conduct the initial round of candidate interviews.

No other board members were allowed to speak to the candidates Thursday night and Liddy cut off Joseph Blundo when he tried to ask each candidate what experience they had working with budgets.

Blundo asked what policy stated he couldn't ask a question and Superintendent Geoffrey Zoeller said it was being done "on advice of legal counsel" to ask uniform questions to each candidate. Blundo said he would've liked to have gotten copies of the questions in advance.

After the three answered the questions, members of the board went into closed session to discuss the candidates further. When they emerged, they chose Swietkowski with a vote of six to two. Blundo and Darlene Mandeville wanted Firriolo, who previously served on the board, to fill the role.

Swietkowski is the PSO president, a position she said she would resign from Friday.

She said she believes finances will be the largest hurdle for the board going forward. "I think the biggest challenge for this board is going to be to continue the good work you guys have been doing making education in Westwood get better with the constraints that Trenton is putting on us," she said.

Swietkowski took the oath of office Thursday night and began serving as a board member. The position she's filling is on the ballot for the April 27 election as a one-year unexpired term.

The reason for the appointment was the , who said she gave up her place on the board because her new job no longer allows her to dedicate enough time to her duties as a trustee.

"I feel terrible that I had to do this but when I ran I honestly made a commitment to myself that I would give 110 percent and I couldn't do it any more with my new job, so I felt like I had to resign," she said.

Members of the school board gave Mosolino a plaque of recognition Thursday and expressed their appreciation for the work she did while on the board for more than seven years.

Several pointed out her time on the board started while the district was in "disarray" and she worked to improve the situation.

"Eileen guided us through the transition of a new superintendent and many, many important changes," school board Vice President Carol Mountain said. "She is a tireless person."

Swietkowski said it would be difficult taking over for Mosolino. "I know I have huge shoes to fill," she said.