Bridgeport school board seeks Republican to fill open seat
BRIDGEPORT — Republicans interested in joining the city Board of Education must first face a public grilling from the Democrat-dominated school board if they want a chance to fill the seat vacated by its former chairperson.
The board plans to interview candidates during a meeting on Dec. 12 for the empty seat left by John Weldon, a Republican who resigned last week after facing criticism over the search for the district’s next superintendent.
The open seat must go to a registered Republican and Park City resident to satisfy a state statute that requires the appointee be a member of the same political party as their predecessor.
Weldon’s resignation left Board Secretary Joseph Lombard as the sole remaining GOP member on the nine-member panel. The rest of the board is made up of six Democrats and a member of the progressive Working Families Party.
Board member Albert Benejan, a Democrat, said the public interviews will test whether an applicant will be transparent if they are selected to serve out the remainder of Weldon’s term, which expires in 2025.
“It’s very important that the person, whoever applies, they understand that this is public, we are public,” Benejan said. “We have nothing to hide.”
Board member Joseph Sokolovic, who previously ran as a Republican but was reelected last year on the Working Families Party ticket, said he believes Weldon’s replacement should be a fiscal conservative who understands the importance of social issues in education.
Sokolovic predicted the board would likely choose a centrist Republican, but he also noted the group could decide to punt the decision to Mayor Joe Ganim if the members do not settle on any of the candidates.
The board has until Dec.
15 to make its choice. If the board fails to act by that deadline, Ganim will be
responsible for naming a new member to the nonpaid position, according to board bylaws.
In the past, the board has struggled to find candidates to fill Republican-held seats. In 2016, seven people applied for an open GOP seat, but only two were registered Republicans who were eligible for the role.
At a special meeting Friday, the board voted to begin soliciting applications for the open seat. The district is expected to distribute notices later this week asking interested applicants to submit resumes and cover letters. A deadline for applying has not yet been set.