Melissa Bailey Photo
As the city moves forward with a new mayor and superintendent, the school board president is remaining the same.
The school board on Tuesday reelected Carlos Torre (pictured) as its president.
Torre is a veteran member of the eight-person, mayorally appointed board. He served on the board for 10 years, took a hiatus due to term limits, served another eight, then just began another four-year term. When his term runs out in September 2017, he will have to step down again due to term limits.
Torre is now set to outlast 21-year Superintendent Reginald Mayo, who retired this summer, and Mayor John DeStefano, who’s stepping down at the end of the year after 20 years.
The school board voted 7 – 0 to reelect Torre.
The eighth board member, Elizabeth Torres, wasn’t there for the vote. Torre revealed why: Torres has resigned her position. She had to step down because she just moved into a house she bought in West Haven, Torre said. Board members must live in New Haven.
The vacancy leaves DeStefano the chance to make one more appointment to the board before his tenure ends. In September, he appointed Daisy Gonzalez, a parent leader from East Rock School, to another open seat.
Meanwhile, a movement is afoot to change the makeup of the board: On Nov. 5, voters can cast ballots on whether the board should replace two of its appointed members with elected members. If the referendum passes, the city would be divided into two voting districts. Candidates would then run for those two seats in an election in November of 2015.
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