The Hicksville Board of Education held its annual reorganization meeting on Tuesday, July 9. At this time, the board for the 2002-2003 school year was sworn in, including newly-elected members Caryn Calabrese and James Pino. Augustine Tornatore, who was elected to the board in May and immediately filled the seat formerly held by James Black, was also sworn in.

Immediately following the swearing-in of new members, the board went into executive session as scheduled on the agenda. Upon their return, the meeting commenced with the recital of the Pledge of Allegiance and the election of officers.

Richard H. Pfaender was voted in as the new school board president, replacing Nancy Callari; Peggy Theiss was elected vice-president, replacing Pfaender; and Pat Love will serve as the new secretary of the board, taking the seat vacated by Theiss. Alesia Sommers, who rejected Theiss' nomination to elect her as secretary, agreed to accept the position of deputy district treasurer, formerly held by Love.

As newly appointed president, Pfaender appointed members of the board as chairs of school board committees. Sommers was appointed to the facilities committee; Theiss to the finance committee; Love to the policy committee; and Tornatore and Calabrese to the curriculum committee. Pino was appointed the new Community and Council Liaison and Parliamentarian and Sommers was appointed PTA Council delegate.

Residents who attended the meeting, which was held in the board room at the administration building, argued that the air conditioning and the microphones used by board members were not working. School board members said the air conditioning was broken and fans were used in its place, making it difficult to hear the board's discussions. Pfaender said the microphones were in fact working, though conditions did not change throughout the meeting.

The next meeting of the board of education is scheduled for Wednesday, July 24 at 8:15 p.m. in the administration building's board room.