Board Member Anda Cytroen Resigns

Bridgewater is looking for a new member of the board of education, after announcing Tuesday that member Anda Cytroen has chosen to resign from her position.

“I think she has been a great board member, and she was once an excellent chair of the finance committee,” said resident Howard Teichman. “I would have liked to see her have a leadership position, and maybe she’ll be back someday and do that.”

Teichman said she had service on the board in two different time periods, for a total of almost five years.

“She was active in the district in other ways and before she was on the board,” he said. “It is with sadness that I have learned of her resignation, and I know she will remain active to the extent her personal circumstances allow.”

According to board of education president Evan Lerner, the board, by state law, is required to choose a new member within 65 days of the resignation.

“That takes us into the middle of the holidays,” he said. “Hopefully we will make enough time for the interview process, which will take place at a special board meeting in November.”

In choosing a new board member, members of the public wishing to be part are asked to apply to the board, and to participate in an interview, which will be done at the special meeting. From there, Lerner said, the board can discuss the interviews before voting in public.

Lerner asked the board members their thoughts on which part, aside from the vote, should be held in public session.

“Technically we can do interviews in closed session because people will feel more comfortable,” board member Jeffrey Brookner said. “But I feel that to be on the board of education, one qualification should be to be able to speak in public.”

As for discussion about the candidates, Brookner said he would rather do that in closed session.

“I know I wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing what I think about what someone said in the interview,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to say things that might be taken wrong in the public.”

“I think there should be a public interview and a private discussion, then a vote,” he added.

But the board was divided on the issue of whether all candidates could be present to hear each others’ interviews.

“We will look into the legality of having the applicants stand out in the hallway while other candidates answer questions,” Lerner said.

The deadline for submitting an application to the board will be Nov. 9.

The special session for interviewing candidates will be held at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15.

For information on how to apply, contact board secretary Peter Starrs at pstarrs@brrsd.k12.nj.us