FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP – A new president and vice president will lead the Freehold Township K-8 School District Board of Education during 2019.
The board held its annual reorganization meeting on Jan. 2 and the three winning candidates from the Nov. 6 election – incumbents Mary Cozzolino and Kay Poklemba-Holtz, and newcomer Kerry Vendittoli – were sworn in to begin serving their three-year terms.
The board oversees the operation of Freehold Township’s early learning center, elementary schools and middle schools.
After all members were seated, the board held elections for the positions of president and vice president.
Michael Amoroso was nominated by Daniel DiBlasio to serve as president and was elected in an unanimous vote. Amoroso joined the board in 2011.
Jennifer Patten, who joined the board in 2012, was nominated by Cozzolino to serve as vice president and was elected in a 7-2 vote. Amoroso, Cozzolino, DiBlasio, Patten, Vendittoli, Michael Matthews and Elena O’Sullivan voted “yes.” Poklemba-Holtz and Michelle Lambert voted “no.”
In other business, board members appointed O’Sullivan as the district’s representative to the Monmouth Ocean Educational Services Commission for 2019; Lambert as the district’s representative to the Monmouth County School Boards Association Legislative Committee for 2019; Patten as the district’s delegate to the New Jersey School Boards Delegate Assembly for 2019; and Cozzolino as the district’s liaison to the Freehold Municipal Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse.
Board members approved the appointment of Business Administrator Robert DeVita as board secretary, safety and health designee, custodian of records, and public agency compliance officer for 2019.
Finally, board members approved the appointment of Assistant Superintendent Dianne Brethauer as the district’s school safety specialist and Ilene Tepper as assistant board secretary for 2018.