The Bethlehem Central Board of Education at its organizational meeting unanimously elected Diane Giacone Stever as its president and Matt Downey as its vice president for the 2011-12 school year.
Also, newly-elected board member Caitrin Navarro was also sworn-in at the July 6 meeting.
Stever takes the reins from James Dering, who did not seek another three-year term in last May’s election. She served as vice president of the board last year.
We have a lot to be proud of in Bethlehem, and I am looking forward to working closely with my fellow board members, the administration, and the community to continue this tradition of excellence, said Stever in a statement. `This is certainly a time of great change, but I can assure the community that our commitment to academic excellence and fiscal responsibility will stay the same.`
The new school board will not only face what most anticipate will be another difficult budget year, but is also expected to select a replacement for outgoing Superintendent Michael Tebbano, who will retire at the end of the calendar year. The selection process could be completed over the summer.
Stever and Downey are each in their second terms on the Board of Education. Stever’s term expires at the end of 2013. Downey was elected to his new term this past May, along with incumbent Laura Ladd Bierman and first-time candidate Navarro.
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