Bernards School Board has New President, VP

Although this year's vice-president of the , Susan McGowan, automatically succeeded former Board President Susan Carlsson, who resigned effective May 21, the board was required to select a new vice-president on Monday night, and chose Board Member Audrey Cohen Sherwyn to fill the spot.

Sherwyn, who is finishing her first three-year term on the board, is seeking re-election. Her appointment as board vice president was unopposed, although Board Member Michael Byrne abstained on voting on the proposal to name Sherwyn to the position.

The vote for a new vice-president was made after the full board publicly interviewed two applicants to fill the vacancy left on the board after as of April, and was moving down the shore.

The board voted overall to to the open spot. Board members Priti Shah and Michael Byrne abstained from voting. Cwerner was sworn in on Monday night.

School board elections in Bernards Township, and many districts, previously were held in April until districts this year were given the option of as long as school boards were willing to commit to keeping annual budget increases to no more than 2 percent.

Although she has officially moved, Carlsson had returned to attend last night's school board meeting.

During committee reports, board members noted that Carlsson had been head of the board's personnel committee, and paused to decide how to proceed.

"I have nothing to report tonight," Carlsson quipped from the auditorium at the William Annin Middle School.

Following the meeting, McGowan and School Business Administrator Nick Markarian said that some committee appointments of board members now must be reassigned following the changes in board membership.