Norwich school board replaces absent member
Norwich — Several hours after the city clerk's office received a letter of resignation from freshman Republican Board of Education member Susan Thomas, the Republican Town Committee voted unanimously to recommend a new member be appointed by the City Council.
Thomas has missed the past five regular school board meetings, plus committee meetings, and her absence in January left the board with a 4-4 tie vote that defeated the proposed $144.5 million major school restructuring plan. The board plans to reconsider that vote at a special meeting to be scheduled soon. The board had planned to vote to possibly revive the school project Tuesday, but four absences left the board with a bare minimum quorum and Chairman Aaron “Al” Daniels said an issue of such magnitude should be heard by a full board.
“It is with deep regret that I am resigning from the Board of Education,” Thomas wrote in a handwritten letter delivered to the city clerk's office Wednesday afternoon by a member of the Republican Town Committee. “I have been struggling the past few months with personal (health and financial) issues. I am unable to fulfill the responsibilities of the position. My apologies to all. This notice is effective immediately.”
The Republican Town Committee on Wednesday endorsed political newcomer Rashid Haynes and will recommend to the City Council that he be appointed to fill the remaining eight months of the now vacant seat. The City Council will meet Tuesday, but the agenda for that meeting already has been set. Republican Council President Pro Tempore Peter Nystrom said he will ask the council to suspend the rules and add the item Tuesday.
Haynes, 48, a Norwich resident since 2003, told the committee he has a 7-year-old son now enrolled in the Regional Multicultural Magnet School in New London, but he plans to enroll the boy in Norwich public schools for middle school.
The town committee had two potential candidates Wednesday, but Melinda Paulsen, who did not attend Wednesday's meeting, deferred to Haynes' nomination. Haynes unanimously was endorsed. Through her husband, Jim Paulsen, Melinda announced her intention to run for the school board in November.
Incumbent Republican Board of Education member Angelo Yeitz announced Wednesday he does not plan to seek re-election in November.
The January tie vote on the Board of Education amounted to a rejection of the four-school renovation project that was endorsed in October by the School Facilities Review Committee. Under the state's current reimbursement formula, the local taxpayer share of the project would be $57.6 million.
The City Council on Tuesday will vote to disband the School Facilities Review Committee, because the group's task to work with project consultants to propose and endorse a school restructuring project.
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