N. Stonington selectmen fill school board post

North Stonington - The Board of Selectmen unanimously appointed Republican Edmund Scarchilli Tuesday to fill the vacant seat on the Board of Education.

The appointment comes after the Board of Education reached a stalemate last Wednesday in naming a member to fill the Republican seat.

Scarchilli said it "appeared the (election) process was trying to be manipulated."

He has never served on a town board or commission. "Now that I've been elected, I plan to keep my name in the running for next year and won't stop until there are improvements and more accountability and fiscal responsibility on the board," he said.

He said he was not sure what to expect at Tuesday's meeting, given the appointment has come up in Board of Education discussions and had yet to be acted on. The seat opened when Cres Secchiaroli resigned from the board last April.

Scarchilli will serve a one-year term and will be up for re-election next November.

Scarchilli has three boys enrolled in the school system. He said he expressed interest in running for the position two months ago. Statistics on school operations, and educational standards, drove his interest, he said.

"You have to be accountable for what's going on. I plan to learn all of the board's policies and the state statutes," Scarchilli said.

Selectman Leroy "Bill" Briscoe, came under fire last week after speaking out against the Democrats' recommendation to appoint Walter Mathwich, an unaffiliated voter, to the Republican seat. "I think we made a good choice tonight," Briscoe said. "I also hope Walter gets his turn, and I think he will get his turn."

j.hanckel@theday.com