OLD FORGE - A split vote over a board member's attendance at a leadership conference led to some disagreement at an Old Forge School Board meeting Wednesday.
A motion to spend $495 to send Marygrace Mailen to the Pennsylvania School Boards Association's Leadership Symposium on Advocacy and Issues failed in a 2-5-1 vote, with Mrs. Mailen abstaining. Board member Christopher Jones was absent.
"I can't imagine why we wouldn't want a board member present," board member Katherine Stocki said of the vote.
Mrs. Mailen also reacted with a prepared statement, explaining that she had been given a message from board President Debbie DeSando before the meeting that the motion would probably fail.
"I have been stifled and bullied by members of this board," she said, questioning open meeting violations before addressing Mrs. DeSando directly.
"Thank you for the thoughtfulness of giving me a heads up so I wouldn't be embarrassed when the motion failed," Mrs. Mailen said. "The only one who should be embarrassed is you and the way you lead."
Ms. Stocki and Eugene Talerico voted in favor of the motion. Voting against were Patrick Dattilo, Gary Goodall, James Hoover, Ronald Stacchiotti and Ms. DeSando.
After the meeting, Mrs. DeSando explained that Ms. Stocki will already be attending the conference in question and the decision was economic. She declined to respond to Mrs. Mailen's comments.
"We already will have representation there," she said.
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