The Lockport school board voted this week to leave open the trustee seat recently vacated by Michael Ferraro.
Ferraro, who had served on the board since July 2021 and was the board secretary, resigned effective July 1. According to the minutes of the board’s July 1 meeting, Ferraro gave notice of his departure on June 30. No explanation was referenced in the minutes.
At their July 22 business meeting, the board voted not to appoint anyone in Ferraro’s place or call a special election. Hence the nine-member board will operate with eight members until the May 2026 school board election. Public relations specialist Denyel Beiter stated the board decided that the vacancy won’t affect decision making because tie votes are rare.
The board, during its July 1 annual reorganization meeting, elected board leaders including Leslie Tobin, president, Alex Lamont, vice president, and Gregory Newman, secretary.
NEW SCHOOL LEADERS NAMED
Also on July 1, the board approved a series of administrative appointments for the 2025-2026 school year:
• Shawn Murray, who has been an assistant principal at Emmet Belknap Intermediate School since 2023, was appointed the assistant principal at George Southard and Charles Upson elementary schools.
• Melicia Edwards was appointed assistant principal in Murray’s place at Belknap. Edwards was recruited from the Syracuse school district. At Belknap, she’ll work alongside assistant principal Elizabeth Smorol and Principal Jennifer Gilson.
• Michael Hiller was appointed principal of Southard Elementary. Hiller was recruited from the North Tonawanda district, where he has been the director of special education.
• Deanna Schmitt, the current Southard principal, was appointed principal of Upson Elementary, following a recent vacancy.
• Joseph Baynes was appointed assistant principal at Aaron Mossell Junior High. A teacher and administrator of special education, he was recruited from Norwalk Public Schools in Connecticut.
• Four-year district employee Andrew Harrington, elementary teacher turned instructional coach helping teachers implement high-impact instructional strategies, was appointed assistant principal at Anna Merritt and Roy B. Kelley elementary schools.