BERKELEY – The Township Board of Education members filled a vacancy on the board with John MacMoyle, a former member who ran unsuccessfully for a spot last year.
There was an opening after Louis Tuminaro stepped down. He had been elected to the Central Regional Board of Education. This left a spot that the rest of the board members had to fill.
Three people expressed interest in the spot, but MacMoyle was the most qualified, said board president Thomas Guarascio. The three were interviewed by Guarascio and other board members David Ytreboe, Edward Cammarato, and Stephen Pellecchia.
“It was based on experience,” Guarascio said. “The other two candidates were lacking in experience and knowledge of the district.” He did, however, encourage the other two candidates to get involved in school events so they could run in the future.
MacMoyle was a running mate with Pellecchia, Ytreboe, and (current township councilwoman) Sophia Gingrich for the board in 2010. He did not have the votes to win a spot in that election.
He ran again in 2012 alongside Ytreboe and Tuminaro. He was later appointed to fill a spot after several board members became council members in the 2012 election. He ran in 2016 but lost again.
Per law, MacMoyle will have to run again in 2017 to keep his spot. Whoever wins will finish the one-year, unexpired term that is up at the end of 2018.
Attempts to reach MacMoyle were unsuccessful as of press time.
The vacancy was filled at the January meeting of the school board. At the meeting prior, the reorganization meeting on January 3, the board swore in the members whose terms started this year.
Cammarato, Pellecchia and Michele Shedlock were sworn in to their full terms that evening.
