Long time resident picked to fill Fagan’s seat, complete nine-member board for 2019
Jaime Auletto Grookett was approved as the newest, and final member of the nine-person board of education at the group’s Jan. 24 meeting.
Grookett has lived in the borough for almost 10 years, and has two children in district schools: Haddonfield Middle School eighth-grader Ava, and Elizabeth Haddon fifth-grader Tommy. She received a master’s degree in language, learning and curriculum from the University of Pennsylvania, and previously served as a high school English teacher.
Grookett was selected to fill the seat left vacant in mid-December upon Mary Fagan’s departure from the board.
“We had four fantastic candidates, and it was a tough decision. We tried to find the best fit with what the talents on the board are right now, where we think we might have holes and want to put together the best group going forward,” said Board President Adam Sangillo. “They were all highly qualified applicants. (Grookett) had some educational background which we don’t have anyone currently. That was something we liked. We also looked at the fact she is deeply involved with the community with many organizations and she has spent a lot of time volunteering.”
As the board is still involved in the vetting process, Grookett will only be able to attend the board’s next work session, scheduled for Feb. 21. Sangillo stated he expected Grookett will be able to join the board officially for all business by the time of its next monthly meeting, slated for Feb. 28.
“She’s just gotta get those clearances. Once she completely passes the security background check, she’ll be able to come into meetings. For now, it’s just not necessarily the privileged meetings, the things we talk about in executive sessions. Once those clearances pass, we’ll have her sworn in so she’ll be an official board member then,” he said.
Justin Benford, who was elected in November to fill the seat vacated by Glenn Moramarco in September and sworn in during a Jan. 3 reorganization meeting, was officially seated with the board for the first time.
In other news:
- Superintendent Larry Mussoline administered the oath of office to a trio of Haddonfield Board of Education student representatives: Stephen Kasko (son of Commissioner Jeffrey Kasko), Julian George and Nicholas Palmer, who will serve in that capacity until January 2020. After a brief debate, Palmer volunteered to be the student rep for this session. There was no word how they would divide responsibilities for future meetings.
- Haddonfield Memorial High School students Banks Sapnar and Raquel Rothstein received recognition for their activities, Sapnar for his musical endeavors and Rothstein for charity efforts.
- In continuation of the board’s reshaping of its policy manual, 70 policies were presented for first reading, 117 were submitted for a second reading and two policies regarding cyberbullying and search and seizure were abolished.
- Mussoline stated the district’s special education audit would be ready within the next week or two, and is expected to be presented at the board’s work session on Feb. 21.
