Sound Shore

A divided Port Chester school board voted tonight to hire Edward Kliszus, superintendent in Hackensack, N.J., to take the district’s top post over the next three years. The salary and terms were not immediately disclosed. (Update: The contract calls for a $217,150 annual salary with no benefits.)

Board members had considered three finalists as it sought a replacement for Donald Carlisle, who left his contract early, Jan. 29. Thomas Elliott led the district on an interim basis.

In casting votes, the board divided sharply between the choice of an outside administrator who had served in various districts and an internal candidate with 39 years in Port Chester, Assistant Superintendent Frank Fanelli. The third finalist was outgoing Ardsley Superintendent Charles Khoury.

Board President Jim Taylor said the changing landscape in testing and staff evaluation pointed to the need for a versatile candidate who had managed in “times of uncertainty.” He said hiring internally had been successful in Port Chester, but was not a sustainable strategy:

I am concerned that as long as we continue to view ourselves as a small village, a mom and pop operation where the mayor can be the justice of the peace and the head of the drug store, we won’t move forward. This is an $80 million  operation, it has to be operated professionally and I think this is an opportunity for us to strengthen, not replace, our operations.

Board member Carolee Brakewood noted that Kliszus has a degree from New York University and has been superintendent in three districts. She said he had thrived in ethnically diverse settings. Blanca Lopez also cast a vote in favor.

The two veteran members of the board, Jim Dreves and Anne Capeci, strongly objected to the decision to pass over Fanelli, who is hailed for his success in winning grants to support components of education and after-school programs. Dreves said the board’s choice, combined with the departure of Taylor and the arrival of a new board member, Bob Johnson, meant that it was “not going to be a happy ride”:

Mr. Fanelli has worked tirelessly for 40 years. He’s got ribbons on his sleeves that most people don’t have. … He’s proven his worth in every single way. … I think we are making a very big mistake in not recognizing his value, and rewarding that value with the superintendency. And because of that I need to vote no.

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