moreA former member of the Tuckahoe School Board has appealed to the New York State Department of Education to force a referendum in the district that could overhaul the embattled board this spring.
Harald Steudte, who served on the Tuckahoe board for more than 14 years, took up the petition circulated early last month by district parent Kevin Luss calling for a referendum on transforming Tuckahoe from a common to a union free district. The change would mean little logistically, but would allow the district to expand its School Board from three to as many as nine members.
Board Chairwoman Sharon Grindle has said she thinks the petition effort is intended to overthrow the sitting three-member board and install new individuals bent on rehiring former district Superintendent Linda Rozzi, who resigned in December. Ms. Rozzi’s resignation, after Ms. Grindle and board member Susan Riccardi refused to renew her contract, has become the fuel for a fire of parent anger directed at the board in the last 10 months. The petitioners have said they have no interest in bringing Ms. Rozzi back, but have made few bones about their desire to oust Ms. Riccardi—whose term is up in May—and Ms. Grindle.
“I feel very strongly that the board is out of control,” Mr. Steudte said. “I think property values in this district are going to suffer because of what’s going on in the Tuckahoe School. People wanted to be here before this all happened, but now I think people would rather go to a neighboring district than put up with this craziness."
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