Robert Carlucci Joins Clarkstown School Board

The Clarkstown school board started a new year Thursday night by taking on a new member and re-electing its president.

The board elected a new vice president and also welcome two new student representatives.

Robert Carlucci of New City was sworn in Thursday night in New City for his first term on the board. He was the top vote-getter in the May school board elections with 4,281 votes.

"I'm not going to come with a focused agenda," he said after the meeting. "I'm going to bring some civility and openness with me and look at all different issues."

Carlucci, who said he ran for his position after a few people suggested that he do so, is taking over for Lisa Lieberman, who opted not to seek re-election and completed nine years as a school board member this week.  

Joining Carlucci being sworn in was returning school board member Diane Hoeneveld, who toward the end of the meeting said her "agenda is to take care of all the children in the Clarkstown Central School District."

Hoeneveld won re-election in the May vote, giving the former Clarkstown teacher a  third three-year term on the board.

"I'm the person looking out for the all children," she said after the meeting. "I monitor all policies that come to us and see if it will be beneficial to the children."

After Carlucci and Hoeneveld were sworn in, board president Phillip DeGaetano won re-election to lead the board. Board member Joseph Malgieri had also been nominated for president by Hoeneveld.

The incumbent board vice president, Donna Ehrenberg, however, lost her seat, literally, to board member Doug Katz, who was nominated by Malgieri to be vice president. After all board members voted, Ehrenberg, who was seated to right of Superintendent Margaret Keller-Cogan, had to switch spots with Katz, who was previously seated to the left of Degaetano. They were, however, allowed to take their nameplates to their new locations.

After the vice president musical chairs, Degaetano welcomed New City's Nate Greenberg, the student representative from Clarkstown High School South. Greenberg, who will enter his senior year at South in the fall, said he heard about the position because he was a part of the student advisory council during his junior year, and students on that council are invited to interview for the position if interested.

"I'm here to represent the interest of the students," Greenberg, 17, said. "I'm hoping to hear about issues and make decisions that students would want."

Degaetano also welcomed the Clarkstown High School North student representative, Zachary Cahn, although he was not at the meeting.

The school board reorganization meeting started off on a somber note, when a moment of silence was held for recent North graduate Adina Berkowitz, who died after graduation following a long illness.