New Rochelle Board of Education members Quay Watkins and Sara Richmond will not stand for re-election to the school board next month. The school board is comprised of 9 members with two up for re-election each year except for once every five years when only seat is up for election.
The news, rumored for the past several weeks, was made official with an announcement today by the League of Women Voters. In announcing their New Rochelle LWV Candidate Forum to be held May 9, 7:30 p.m. at the New Rochelle Public Library, the League of Women Voters added:
Board members Quay Watkins and Sara Richmond have indicated that they will not run for re-election to the school board, which have 5-year terms.
Richmond became Board President in 2009 after a startling “coup” during the “Installation Day” meeting held to swear-in Diedre Polow and Jeffrey Hastie. At the time Quay Watkins was Vice President of the Board of Education. By tradition, the Vice President would have been elevated to President after the end of the previous President’s term. For personal reasons, Watkins wished to remain as Vice President but this request was not acceptable to the majority of the Board of Education and the Board voted in Richmond and, as Vice President, Chrisanne Petrone. Both were in the first terms as Board of Education members.
Richmond, currently the President of the New Rochelle Board of Education, had had medical issues over the past year. Her tenure as BoE President has been made especially difficult due to the tough economic times. Watkins has been disaffected from some other members of the board ever since the “coup” in 2009.
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