At the Springfield School Board’s 2011 reorganization meeting, the board swore in a new president and welcomed two new members.
Springfield Schools Business Administrator Matthew Clarke swore Steven Friedman and Scott Samansky into their first terms on the Board. Steven Wolcott, who took over the remainder of the term left after Board member Donato Circelli resigned from the Board in 2009, started on his first full term and was elected as Vice President of the Board.
All three members ran unopposed as candidates.
Board member Pat Venezia became President of the Board. It is the second presidency for the veteran board member.
“I feel honored that my peers think enough of me to ‘vote’ me in,” Venezia told Patch. This is my second opportunity to be President, the first was over five years ago.
She said that she anticipated this term to be different.
“The challenges are greater and the stakes are higher,” Venezia said. “There is an ever increasing challenge to provide an outstanding educational experience with the constraint of a 2 percent cap and ever dwindling state dollars. Our bills, however, remain constant. The greatest challenge is to provide program growth in this climate.”
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
