Westwood School Board Appoints Acting Superintendent Amid Personnel Changes

In a recent meeting, the Westwood School Board appointed Frank Connelly as Acting Superintendent in the absence of Dr. Jill Mortimer, with a monthly stipend of $5,000, prorated for partial months. Additionally, Bronwen Calderon was appointed as Assistant to the Acting Superintendent with a monthly stipend of $4,166.66, also prorated for partial months. These appointments were made pursuant to an employment agreement awaiting approval from the executive county superintendent of schools.

The meeting began with the board addressing concerns about the urgency and nature of the session, reassuring the public of the absence of nefarious motives, and explaining the necessity due to a personnel issue that could not be publicly disclosed. Public comments were invited, with community members expressing confusion and seeking clarification on the urgency of the decisions made, particularly given the proximity to when new board members are set to take their seats.

The board also moved to rescind prior approval of an arrangement for unnamed staff to receive assignment as Acting Superintendent. It was acknowledged that the previous vote on this matter, which passed 8 to 1 with Irene Fenarjian dissenting, was an error due to unanswered questions surrounding the item.

Questions from the public included concerns about the board’s process in overriding recommendations from the superintendent and the impact of such actions on future board and superintendent relations. The board responded by reiterating the motion details for clarity but did not provide additional context due to the confidential nature of personnel issues.

The meeting concluded without further public comments and was adjourned, leaving the community with assurances that Dr. Mortimer remains with the district, albeit the necessity for interim appointments was not fully disclosed.

Note: This meeting summary was generated by AI, which can occasionally misspell names, misattribute actions, and state inaccuracies. This summary is intended to be a starting point and you should review the meeting record linked above before acting on anything you read. If we got something wrong, let us know. We’re working every day to improve our process in pursuit of universal local government transparency.
Superintendent:
Dr. Jill Mortimer
School Board Officials:
Michael Pontillo, Kristen Pedersen, Laura Cooper, Douglas Cusato, Jason Garcia, Irene Fenarjian, James Parrino, Andrea Peck, Stacey Price, Jill Mortimer (liaison), Bronwen Calderon (Director of Secondary Education), Denise Velez (Director of Elementary Education), Keith A. Rosado (liaison), Glen Becker (Director of Buildings & Grounds), Shelley LaForgia (liaison), Ashley Molina (Student Representative), Grace DeLeon (Student Representative)

Receive debriefs about local meetings in your inbox weekly:

Trending meetings
across the country:

Meeting Date
Filter by bodytypes
Agricultural Advisory Committee
Airport Advisory Board
Art and Culture Board
Beach Committee
Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
Board of Elections
Board of Health
Borough Council
Building Committee
Cannabis Control Board
Cemetery Commission
Charter Revision Commission
Child and Family Services Board
City Council
City Identity Committee
Code Enforcement Board
College Board of Trustees
Community Appearance Board
Community Preservation Committee
Community Redevelopment Agency
County Council
Disability Advisory Committee
Economic Development Board
Elderly Affairs Board
Electric Advisory Board
Environmental Commission
Financial Oversight Board
Historic Preservation Commission
Housing Authority
Human Relations Committee
Human Resources Committee
Insurance Fund
Land Use Board
Library Board
Licensing Board
Mental Health Commission
Municipal Alliance
Open Space Commission
Oversight and Review Committee
Parking Authority
Parks and Gardens Commission
Parks Commission
Pension Board
Planning Board
Police Review Board
Property Assessment Board
Public Safety Committee
Recreation Commission
Redevelopment Agency
Rent Control Board
Rent Leveling Board
School Board
Sewerage Authority
Shade Tree Commission
Special Magistrate
Taxation & Revenue Advisory Committee
Tourism Board
Trails Committee
Transportation Board
Utility Board
Value Adjustment Board
Veterans Committee
Water Control Board
Women's Advisory Committee
Youth Advisory Committee
Zoning Board
Filter by County
FL
Bay County
Bradford County
Brevard County
Broward County
Clay County
Duval County
Escambia County
Gulf County
Hendry County
Highlands County
Hillsborough County
Indian River County
Lake County
Lee County
Leon County
Levy County
Liberty County
Manatee County
Marion County
Martin County
Miami-Dade County
Monroe County
Okaloosa County
Orange County
Osceola County
Palm Beach County
Pasco County
Pinellas County
Polk County
Putnam County
Santa Rosa County
Sarasota County
Seminole County
St. Johns County
Taylor County
Volusia County
Walton County
MA
Barnstable County
Berkshire County
Bristol County
Essex County
Franklin County
Hampden County
Hampshire County
Middlesex County
Norfolk County
Plymouth County
Suffolk County
Worcester County
NJ
Atlantic County
Bergen County
Burlington County
Camden County
Cape May County
Cumberland County
Essex County
Gloucester County
Hudson County
Hunterdon County
Mercer County
Middlesex County
Monmouth County
Morris County
Ocean County
Passaic County
Somerset County
Sussex County
Union County
Warren County
Filter by sourcetypes
Minutes
Recording