Record-Journal
12-05-2007, 12:04 AM
MERIDEN — Frank J. Kogut may be out as Board of Education president after 16 years at the helm.
Democratic board member Mark Hughes has lined up the five votes he needs to take over, Hughes said Tuesday — and he did it by offering the vice presidency to Republican Leonard Suzio.
Michael P. Cardona is running for secretary and Thomas Bruenn is seeking the position of treasurer on a slate that also has the support of John Lineen, securing the five votes needed for a majority on the nine-member board.
“This is where the votes lie,” said Hughes, who is starting his second term on the board.
Hughes, Cardona, Bruenn, Lineen and Suzio met with the Record-Journal on Tuesday to announce the slate. To avoid a quorum, which would have made it an official board meeting, they met in two smaller groups to make the announcement.
They cited broad dissatisfaction with Kogut’s leadership, including his lack of attendance at expulsion hearings, and a general need for a change.
The school board is scheduled to vote on leadership positions tonight.
Kogut said Tuesday that if he is not re-elected as board president, he intends to complete the last two years of his term. But he said he plans to “keep my options open,” which could mean seeking another elected office.
Originally, the Democrats were united in support of Kogut as president, but that fell through when he backed Robert E. Kosienski Jr., a Republican, for vice president, said Hughes, who initially sought the vice president’s seat.
Barbara Sokol, a Democrat who serves as the board’s treasurer, also supported Kosienski.
But several Democrats, including Town Chairwoman Mildred Torres-Ferguson, wanted to see a Democrat as vice president.
“Frank put his own position on the line to support Rob,” Hughes said.
Hughes decided to challenge Kogut for board president but needed another vote. That’s when he called Suzio, a 13-year veteran of the board.
“I really thought they’d get their act together,” Suzio said of the Democrats, adding that he took time to consider Hughes’ offer.
Suzio, who said he does not intend to seek re-election in 2009, said he is concerned that many will think that being offered the vice presidency will influence how he will vote tonight, but he said that isn’t true.
He was going to be offered a leadership position regardless, he said.
Kogut was prepared to offer him the position of secretary, Torres-Ferguson said.
“It was the most love I’ve felt in my 13 years on the board,” Suzio said.
Kosienski said Tuesday that he is willing to work with the board’s new leaders.
“It’s a shame politics had to come into play, but it’s certainly not the end of the Board of Education,” Kosienski said, adding that he is focused on doing what is best for Meriden’s students.
Hughes and the members of his leadership slate said they respect the opinions of Kogut, Sokol and Kosienski, and that their decisions were not political.
“It’s about the direction of leadership for the Board of Education,” Hughes said.
But Kogut disagreed.
“That’s a lie,” he said. “They have absolutely no respect for me, Barbara and Robby. It’s all politics.”
Kogut said he was not surprised by his colleagues’ actions.
“I’ve been around too long,” he said. “I’ve seen too many things.”
Also likely to be stripped of a leadership title is Sokol, who left a Democratic caucus last week in disgust.
“Truthfully, it doesn’t bother me,” she said. “If you have to win a seat the way this was won, shame on the whole thing. I don’t regret anything.”
Torres-Ferguson said no one should be surprised by the board’s choice of leaders.
“No one wants to think about the Board of Education as political, but this one piece of it is,” she said.
While Torres-Ferguson said the new leadership team was not her first choice — she preferred to see a Democrat serve as vice president to learn from Kogut — she supports what the board’s majority wants.
“We always wanted a change in leadership,” Cardona said.
Cardona wants the board to be more active when tackling issues, he said. He also wants the board and its leaders to talk more and communicate better with the public.
Leadership needs to be shared, Bruenn said.
“I don’t see the president’s position as a position of power,” Hughes said. “I see it as a position of direction and a position of unity. If the position is used properly, that’s how it will be.”
Unity may be the goal, but Bruenn said there may be some tension for a while.
“I doubt by the end of (tonight’s) meeting that we will be singing ‘Kumbaya,’” he said.
Democratic board member Mark Hughes has lined up the five votes he needs to take over, Hughes said Tuesday — and he did it by offering the vice presidency to Republican Leonard Suzio.
Michael P. Cardona is running for secretary and Thomas Bruenn is seeking the position of treasurer on a slate that also has the support of John Lineen, securing the five votes needed for a majority on the nine-member board.
“This is where the votes lie,” said Hughes, who is starting his second term on the board.
Hughes, Cardona, Bruenn, Lineen and Suzio met with the Record-Journal on Tuesday to announce the slate. To avoid a quorum, which would have made it an official board meeting, they met in two smaller groups to make the announcement.
They cited broad dissatisfaction with Kogut’s leadership, including his lack of attendance at expulsion hearings, and a general need for a change.
The school board is scheduled to vote on leadership positions tonight.
Kogut said Tuesday that if he is not re-elected as board president, he intends to complete the last two years of his term. But he said he plans to “keep my options open,” which could mean seeking another elected office.
Originally, the Democrats were united in support of Kogut as president, but that fell through when he backed Robert E. Kosienski Jr., a Republican, for vice president, said Hughes, who initially sought the vice president’s seat.
Barbara Sokol, a Democrat who serves as the board’s treasurer, also supported Kosienski.
But several Democrats, including Town Chairwoman Mildred Torres-Ferguson, wanted to see a Democrat as vice president.
“Frank put his own position on the line to support Rob,” Hughes said.
Hughes decided to challenge Kogut for board president but needed another vote. That’s when he called Suzio, a 13-year veteran of the board.
“I really thought they’d get their act together,” Suzio said of the Democrats, adding that he took time to consider Hughes’ offer.
Suzio, who said he does not intend to seek re-election in 2009, said he is concerned that many will think that being offered the vice presidency will influence how he will vote tonight, but he said that isn’t true.
He was going to be offered a leadership position regardless, he said.
Kogut was prepared to offer him the position of secretary, Torres-Ferguson said.
“It was the most love I’ve felt in my 13 years on the board,” Suzio said.
Kosienski said Tuesday that he is willing to work with the board’s new leaders.
“It’s a shame politics had to come into play, but it’s certainly not the end of the Board of Education,” Kosienski said, adding that he is focused on doing what is best for Meriden’s students.
Hughes and the members of his leadership slate said they respect the opinions of Kogut, Sokol and Kosienski, and that their decisions were not political.
“It’s about the direction of leadership for the Board of Education,” Hughes said.
But Kogut disagreed.
“That’s a lie,” he said. “They have absolutely no respect for me, Barbara and Robby. It’s all politics.”
Kogut said he was not surprised by his colleagues’ actions.
“I’ve been around too long,” he said. “I’ve seen too many things.”
Also likely to be stripped of a leadership title is Sokol, who left a Democratic caucus last week in disgust.
“Truthfully, it doesn’t bother me,” she said. “If you have to win a seat the way this was won, shame on the whole thing. I don’t regret anything.”
Torres-Ferguson said no one should be surprised by the board’s choice of leaders.
“No one wants to think about the Board of Education as political, but this one piece of it is,” she said.
While Torres-Ferguson said the new leadership team was not her first choice — she preferred to see a Democrat serve as vice president to learn from Kogut — she supports what the board’s majority wants.
“We always wanted a change in leadership,” Cardona said.
Cardona wants the board to be more active when tackling issues, he said. He also wants the board and its leaders to talk more and communicate better with the public.
Leadership needs to be shared, Bruenn said.
“I don’t see the president’s position as a position of power,” Hughes said. “I see it as a position of direction and a position of unity. If the position is used properly, that’s how it will be.”
Unity may be the goal, but Bruenn said there may be some tension for a while.
“I doubt by the end of (tonight’s) meeting that we will be singing ‘Kumbaya,’” he said.