School Board Elects Chmielewski as President, Hints at Changes

The Upper Dublin Board of School Directors has a new look, and might also be making new efforts to engage the community.

At Monday's legislative meeting at the , the board welcomed newcomer , who took her seat after last month's , filling the spot vacated by former board president Michael Paston. The nine-member board then unanimously voted previous VP Joseph Chmielewski as the body's new president. Board member Margie Barrett congratulated Chmielewski.

"Who better than Joe to lead us through the third and final [construction] phase, and the opening of the magnificent new art, music, and theater wing," said Barrett, referencing Chmielewski's work on the facilities committee and district facilities taskforce. "Joe is a man of integrity, knowledge, and fortitude."

Chmielewski accepted the nomination and later spoke.

"I would like to thank all of you on the board for putting your confidence in me to serve as president. It is an honor and awesome responsibility," said Chmielewski. "We must look forward and prepare to meet the challenges that lie ahead. We are and will continue to be a premier district… at issue is the question of delivering on that promise to all of our students, while also being effective, efficient stewards of district resources."

Chmielewski also hinted that the board may make some changes to its meetings, without naming specifics.

"In the weeks and months ahead you may notice a new look to our school board meetings, and we will adjust the setting as necessary to create an environment that will invite deeper dialogue and tease out new ideas and suggestions," said Chmielewski. "These changes will hopefully inform better decisions by the board, and also invite valuable community input."

Board member Debbie Mendelson was unanimously voted the board's new vice president.

"Debbie is an expert in education," said board member David Robinson. "I can't think of anyone better to lead us in this next phase so that we keep the children in mind and make sure that the quality of curriculum is in the forefront of everything we do."

The board will vote at next week's legislative meeting to elect a new secretary, a role previously held by Mendelson. Board member Bert Saddler was reelected as assistant secretary.

The board also had a few words for previous president Michael Paston.

“Michael Paston set a high bar for performance [as president]," said Chmielewski. "He fulfilled the duties of his office exceptionally well… and he made his work look effortless, but it was far from that. He is the embodiment of the statement 'one person can make a difference,' and will certainly be missed here on the board."