BY DAN NEWMAN
Staff Writer
MIDDLETOWN — For six years, Sherry Gevarter held a spot as a member of the township Board of Education. In those days, she said, she was most concerned about school construction within the district.
“At the time, the district was expanding, and that was something that was important to the people in Middletown,” Gevarter said.
Gevarter, who has often attended and spoken at meetings after being off the board for a year, felt like it was time to explore the possibility of pitching in once again in the wake of former board President Mike Roberts’ September resignation and the promotion of Thomas Conroy from board member to vice president.
“When the position became open, I thought I could contribute once again and help make a difference. There are things that need to be addressed, and I felt that I could help out,” Gevarter said.
Gevarter was selected over nearly 20 other candidates and was appointed to the position by the Board of Education at its monthly workshop meeting Oct. 19. Her appointment will conclude in six months.
One of Gevarter’s goals is to help move things along in the classroom.
“There’s always something new to address when it comes to education, and so what happens at the instructional level is very important to me,” Gevarter said.
Even if she had not been chosen for the position, Gevarter would not have been disappointed.
“I felt like I had, at the very least, an obligation to submit an application. I wanted to at least try and make a difference in the schools. If I had not been chosen, I would have been fine with that, but I did want to see what I could do to help out again,” Gevarter said.
Because of her previous experience, she said her learning curve may be a bit shorter than a new member of the board who may not be familiar with what goes on at meetings and how things work.
When asked if she’d run for a spot again after her six-month term has expired, she said it hinges upon how well she thinks she can do the job for a full term.
“It would depend on how effective I am. If I think I did a good job, then I would definitely consider running again.”