SPRING VALLEY – The East Ramapo school board has appointed Ana Reluzco, currently assistant superintendent for human resources, as interim superintendent starting July 1. She will be the troubled district’s second interim leader in a row.
The board voted 6-1 to appoint Reluzco, with Trustee Sabrina Charles-Pierre voting no.
“I fully recognize that this final recommendation comes from both the monitors and the commissioner,” Charles-Pierre said. “But I must say that as a board member, my duty is first and foremost to the students, staff and families of this district.”
Charles-Pierre said her vote was “not a reflection of the candidate personally, but rather a reflection of the concerns raised and the importance of trust and transparency in the process.”
The current interim superintendent, Anthony DiCarlo, is due to leave the district June 30. Though many public-school parents had expressed hope he would continue as the district searched for a permanent superintendent, DiCarlo has taken a job as interim superintendent in Pawling, a K-8 district in Dutchess County. He did not attend June 24’s special meeting.
Reluzco’s appointment was a do-over of sorts, as it was slated to take place at the June 16 school board meeting, but was yanked from the agenda about 20 minutes before the meeting.
Conversely, the agenda for the board’s June 24 special meeting didn’t list the appointment when it was posted on Monday, May 23. It was apparently updated with Reluzco’s planned appointment sometime on Tuesday, June 24.
In fact, the agreement addendum attachment on the June 24 board agenda carried June 16 as its passage date.
What changed between June 16 and June 24?
The urgency of filling the leadership role was impressed upon the board at the June 16 meeting.
“If you don’t have a super by July 1, we have to consult with the commissioner,” state-appointed monitor Shelley Jallow said during that meeting. “Because you would be one of the first districts in the state not to have a superintendent by July 1.”
When Jallow and state monitor Shawn Farr were asked why the vote for Reluzco had been removed from the June 16 meeting agenda, Jallow said monitors removed it because not all board members were in attendance and there was concern about a “full vote.”
With six of nine board members in attendance, the board had a quorum on June 16. The three members absent were: Simon Koth, Moses Koth and Ephraim Weissmandl.
On June 24, two trustees, board Vice President Sherry McGill and Trustee Hiram Rivera were absent. But the district had less than a week before it would be leaderless.
East Ramapo is a complex district to lead.
Some 10,500 kids, the majority of whom are English language learners, attend the public schools; another 35,000 children who live within the district’s boundaries go to private schools, mostly yeshivas. Children who go to both public and private schools are entitled to key services from the district, including transportation.
The school board has for over a decade had a majority of members who are seen by public-school advocates as favoring the yeshiva community.
The three board members absent at the June 16 meeting are among six trustees who are viewed by public-school advocates as favoring the yeshiva community. The two trustees absent June 24 are seen as part of the public-school community.
East Ramapo activist banned from school board meetings
One June 24, hours before the special meeting, public-school advocate Terry Rodriguez received a letter from the board informing her she had been banned from attending board meetings for six months.
The letter, shared with USA Today, cited Rodriguez’s past actions at school board meetings, including the June 16 meeting.
“Inflammatory comments about students or staff are prohibited,” the hand-delivered letter stated. “You were advised of this but ignored this, proceeding to speak directly and aggressively about a member of the District’s senior leadership team, by name.”
At the June 16 meeting, Rodriguez addressed Reluzco directly during her public comments, saying a superintendent with an HR background was not what the kids needed, and urging the board to find a superintendent focused on education.
Board President Shimon Rose, citing public participation guidelines, told Rodriguez not to use any staff members’ names. Rodriguez countered she was commenting on an agenda item; but the item had, unbeknownst to her, been removed.
Rodriguez’s mic was turned off and most of the board left the dais. When they came back, a member of the district’s security team told Rodriguez to leave.
Rodriguez on June 24 called the ban a form of intimidation and retaliation.
“I fight for the rights of all children’s education,” Rodriguez said.
There was no public comment session during the June 24 meeting, which is not required for a special meeting.
The Ana Reluzco file
Reluzco has been in the East Ramapo school district for a few years. Previously, she served as executive administrator for human resources and pupil personnel services in the New Rochelle school district. Before that, she worked for many years at Rockland BOCES.
Trustee Moses Koth said he believed Reluzco’s appointment was important for stability. “I believe she brings the experience and understanding of this district’s needs,” he said during the June 24 meeting.
Board President Rose also spoke in support of Reluzco at the June 24 meeting.
“I know Ana personally and I know how dedicated she is to the students of the district,” Rose said. “All I ask is you give her a chance.”
According to the contract document available on the June 24 meeting agenda, Reluzco will receive an additional $55,000 a year, pro-rated, for serving as interim superintendent. Her current salary was not immediately available.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: East Ramapo names interim superintendent within days of being left leaderless
Reporting by Nancy Cutler, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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