The Christina Board of Education selected Monica Moriak as its new president in a 4-3 vote at the Tuesday business session.
Previous Board President Donald Patton initially nominated board newcomer Shannon Troncoso for the position, and the motion failed 3-4.
Moriak has volunteered with the school district for the last 20 years and served on school- and district-level committees.
“Thank you to my board members,” Moriak said. “I will do my best to follow Robert's Rules, to follow our board policies and to put student outcomes first.”
Board members then chose Y.F. Lou for board 5-0 with two abstentions.
With Moriak as president, the board’s 4-3 majority appears to have been flipped from where it stood with Donald Patton leading the board.
But several public commenters at Tuesday night’s board meeting asked the board to focus on students rather than personal politics, including Brader Elementary teacher Alison Parey.
“We have had to endure what could be described as weaponized chaos and dysfunction at the highest level,” Parey said. “Our meetings have become an arena for power struggles, infighting, grandstanding, lack of respect for the established rule of order, and, most alarmingly, a blatant disregard for the very people who elected to put you on this stage in the first place.”
Oberle Elementary’s media and library specialist Katie Swann also spoke at the session.
“We know that our district is facing complex challenges: fiscal pressures, changing academic demand; staff support and retention and ensuring the social and emotional well being of our students,” Swann said. “These are not issues any one person or department can solve alone. They require a united approach. That's why I want to emphasize the critical importance of working together as a team. Collaboration between the board, administration, educators, staff, support staff, families in the community is essential.”
Board member Naveed Baqir attended the meeting virtually and participated in decisions, casting votes for Troncoso and against Moriak.
This comes after board member Doug Manley sued Baqir over his eligibility to serve because he has been living in Pakistan for the last 16 months to take care of his family.
Gov. Matt Meyer signed a bill into law last week requiring board members be residents of their district for at least three-quarters of the year. In order to use that law against Baqir, a resident would have to start the process by reporting to Superior Court.
Patton, while serving as board president previously announced Baqir will resign in July, but no mention of Baqir leaving the board came up at Tuesday's board meeting.
