The Railroad Township Board has once again voted to appoint Susan McCormack to the North Judson-San Pierre School Board, but this time, they did it legally. They originally made the decision last week, but didn’t take the vote in public, as required by law. So board members met again Thursday to rescind that action and do it again in public.
Township Board President Gus Eckert publicly apologized for the mistake. “We were found to be in violation,” he said, “and as I promised at the last meeting, we came back to correct the mistake.”
While the original application and interview process was apparently still valid, board members revisited their internal discussion for the public. Mike Lawecki recommended appointing Deb Wappel to the school board, citing her inside knowledge of N.J.-S.P. “She attended the schools, as well as her husband, their kids, and their grandkids now are in school, so you have three generations, at least,” Lawecki said. “She attends the meetings. I think she’s got the personality to not be bullied, as it were, in the meetings. She’s going to get her point across. Like it or not, I believe she’s going to tell you the truth.”
Meanwhile, Clarence Gerkhe favored Susan McCormack because of her experience on the LaPorte School Board. “I think the experience has got to be beneficial,” he said. “Not that it’s mandatory, but if somebody’s got experience, it has to help somewhat, in my opinion. . . . I think her affiliation in the financial world – I think she understands that probably as well as anybody in this room.”
Ultimately, Eckert agreed with Gerkhe, and McCormack was appointed by a vote of two-to-one. She replaces current School Board President Pat Goin, who did not seek reappointment. Megan Korous and Cassandra Hine also sought the school board seat, but Hine withdrew from consideration after the township board’s initial decision last week.
