After three Hoboken Board of Education trustees were sworn in last night, Tom Kluepfel retained the presidency of the board, while Sharyn Angley took over as vice president.
Sheillah Dallara, Jennifer Evans and Irene Sobolov, who ran under the Forward Together banner and swept the November 8 election, were sworn in last night at the Demarest School Auditorium by Hoboken School Business Administrator William Moffitt.
The turnout was modest, with about 15 people in attendance, including a number of notable elected officials.
Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro (D-33), Mayor Dawn Zimmer, Council members Tiffanie Fisher, James Doyle and Ravi Bhalla, all who supported Forward Together, were all in attendance.
Freeholder Anthony Romano (D-5), often floated as a candidate for mayor in November, backed the opposing Parents United team, but took a few moments to let the board know he was willing to do anything he could to help as their county representative.
“First, congratulations to Irene and to Jennifer on their re-election, and to Sheillah on her election. I have to say I’m very proud to have the ability and the honor to work with you as a county representative, looking forward to being of assistance,” Romano said.
Prior to his public comments, the only public remarks of the evening, Kluepfel was again voted board president, while Angley got the nod for vice president.
Trustee Peter Biancamano was the only board member who weighed in prior to either vote, specifically speaking on potentially re-appointing Kluepfel as president.
“In years past, I’ve stood up here at the reorganization meeting and always discussed how common courtesy among board members should be … respectful to all the board members here,” he began.
“And coming in tonight, I didn’t receive any phone calls from Tom asking for my vote tonight, for his presidency, until about 6:58 p.m. tonight, he came up to me and said he’s going to be nominated for president.”
Biancamano, who was the treasurer of the Parents United campaign, concluded that the voters have spoken and in the interest of moving the district forward, he would vote for Kluepfel.
Both Kluepfel and Angley were appointed to their posts by votes of 8-0, with Trustee Britney Montgomery absent.
