Board to Hold Closed Interviews for Open Seat

Update Monday, 11:02 a.m.: According to Kerri S. Stevens, the East Hampton district clerk, Monday's board meeting to interview candidates has been cancelled. No further information was available.

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Three East Hampton residents are vying for an open seat on the East Hampton School Board.

According to Kerri Stevens, the district clerk, Charla Bikman, Stephen Grossman, and Deme Minskoff submitted their paperwork earlier this week. The deadline was Wednesday.

On Friday afternoon, the district announced that the board would meet on Monday, beginning at 1 p.m., and go into a closed, or executive, session to conduct interviews. The public is barred from attending such sessions.

The seat has been vacant on the seven-member board since Patricia Hope, formerly its president, submitted a letter of resignation in early July. Since her surprise departure, the board has weighed whether to hold a special election, keep the seat vacant, or appoint someone.

At a meeting in early September, the board decided to appoint someone, also expressing that it had an interest in candidates who possessed a "financial background, including accounting, municipal finance, and budgeting."

In order to qualify, potential board members must be registered voters, East Hampton residents for at least one year prior to appointment, and cannot be current district employees.

The board hopes to announce its choice by Nov. 1. The new member would serve until late June, though the open seat is up for grabs during May's annual vote. Each elected term is three years in duration.