Greenwich's six remaining Board of Education members voted unanimously Tuesday to set a tight timeline for filling two vacant Republican seats, aiming to have new members sworn in before the board's first meeting of the school year on Thursday, Sept. 3.

Vice Chair Sophie Koven, serving as acting chair following the resignation of former Chair Michael-Joseph Mercanti-Anthony, led the Aug. 17 special meeting. Republican board secretary Karen Krause introduced the motion that passed 6-0. The approved schedule: applications due by 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24; shortlisting and interviews during the weeks of Aug. 24 and Aug. 31; and a final appointment vote no later than Wednesday, Sept. 2.

"I think it would be nice to have two new candidates appointed, and have them sworn in by the town clerk, and be able to join us for the first board meeting of the year," Koven said, according to Greenwich Free Press.

Who can apply

Candidates must be registered Republicans, at least 18 years old, U.S. citizens, Greenwich residents and not employed by Greenwich Public Schools. Applications go to board clerk Michael Antonaccio. The board asked that anyone who previously submitted a résumé to the Republican Town Committee also apply directly to Antonaccio so no one is overlooked.

Applicant names will not be made public. Koven said she does not want to discourage anyone from applying.

The two appointed members would serve 14-month terms, with both seats up for election in November 2027.

The timeline is shadowed by a dispute with the Town's own attorney. In an Aug. 11 email to the school board's counsel, Town attorney Ben Bianco argued that quorum for the eight-member board remains five, even with only six members currently seated. He threatened a Quo Warranto action against anyone appointed on a four-member vote.

Bianco cited what he called a century-old custom in which the political party that lost a seat named the replacement while the other party stood back. The board's own counsel has advised the board to fill the vacancies by "day 21," which would be Thursday, Aug. 27, according to Koven.

Former Republican BOE Chair Peter Bernstein disputed Bianco's framing in comments to Greenwich Free Press. "There was no custom to take direction from a political party regarding the replacement of a resigning Board member," Bernstein said, recalling how the board handled a 2021 Democratic vacancy without deferring to the Democratic Town Committee.

The board has not publicly stated its legal position on the quorum question.

What families should know

As we reported Aug. 4, Mercanti-Anthony and member Wendy Vizzo Walsh accelerated their resignations to take effect immediately on Aug. 7, leaving the board split four Democrats to two Republicans.

Key dates:

  • Monday, Aug. 24, 5 p.m. — Application deadline
  • Tuesday, Aug. 25 — Executive session for preliminary candidate rankings
  • Weeks of Aug. 24 and Aug. 31 — Shortlisting and interviews
  • Friday, Aug. 28 — First day of school
  • No later than Wednesday, Sept. 2 — Final appointment vote
  • Thursday, Sept. 3 — First BOE meeting of the school year

Republican board member Paul Cappiali raised a concern that aggregating all six members' candidate rankings through the clerk could constitute a "meeting" under Freedom of Information law, prompting Koven to schedule the Aug. 25 executive session instead. Krause suggested seeking candidates with expertise in construction management, finance, law or education, and Koven noted that upcoming labor negotiations with LIUNA Local 136, which represents approximately 350 town and school employees, make that experience relevant for new members.