Contested school board race in Riverhead, not in SWR
Seven people will vie for three vacant seats in the upcoming Riverhead Board of Education election, according to the list of names announced Monday afternoon after the deadline to apply passed.
Incumbents Susan Koukounas and Ron Fisher are running, as well as four newcomers — Brian P. Connelly, Joshua Berezny, Elizabeth C. Silva and Gregory-John Fischer, according to district clerk Barbara O’Kula.
Amelia Lantz is the seventh person running for the board. Ms. Lantz has previously served on the school board. She was elected in 2010 and later resigned in 2017, saying the board violated new tenure laws that took effect in July 2015 when moving people from administrative positions back to classroom positions.
Byron Perez, who was chosen by the Board of Education to fill one of two vacancies left after Ms. Lantz and Ann Cotten-DeGrasse’s resignations in June, was not listed as one of the people looking to serve on the board.
At Shoreham-Wading River, two people are vying for two open spots, district clerk Janice Seus said.
Incumbent and current board president Robert Rose is running as well as newcomer James Smith. Michael Yannucci, who was elected to the board last year to serve the remaining year of Michael Fucito’s open seat is not running for re-election.
Mr. Smith ran for the board last year. He received the fifth-highest number of votes, but only four seats were open at the time. Mr. Yannucci topped him by 72 votes.
The deadline to submit applications to run for a seat on the board was 5 p.m. today. All people elected to the board in both districts will serve three-year terms. The BOE elections are May 15.
