School board elects new president

SPARTA - The school board tried to put its best face forward after electing a new president and swearing in its two newest members at an annual reorganization meeting Monday at the Mohawk Avenue School. The election of Michael Schiavoni to lead the school board signals the latest twist and turn on a governing body that has seen five of its nine members voted out of office in the past two years. Schiavoni, who is in the second year of a three-year term, replaces David Slavin, who presided over a tumultuous year in which the school board struggled to address the district’s overcrowded high school classrooms and increasing student population. “My goal is to reach out to all nine members,” said Schiavoni, who contacted all nine board members about his desire to serve as president following the elections on April 11. “I don’t come with an agenda, but I do come with the intent to strengthen the board’s effectiveness and to work to get our house in order.” For almost three years, the school board struggled to find land to build a new school before settling on expansion and renovation of the existing facility, which has stood on Mountain Road for more than 50 years. In September, township residents will go to the voting booth to either approve or reject the $71.5 million referendum needed to fund the project. While all members agreed that something had to be done about the enrollment dilemma, the exhaustive search for a solution helped split the board into warring factions in both heated public and private debate. The line of division remained status quo this week in the 5-3 vote to elect Schiavoni and new vice president Richard Sullivan, who is also in the second year of a three-year term. Doug Chusnulovitch, Jonathan Rush, and Slavin opted against Schiavoni and Sullivan. Newly elected member Keith Smith abstained. Paul Johnson, who regained a seat on the board, and recently elected Mike Schill Jr. backed the Schiavoni and Sullivan leadership team. Johnson, who was at the center of a sometimes bitter election campaign and ongoing feud with the former president and school administrators, said he sees a glimmer of hope arising from the wounds that had scarred the board in the past. “If you read and listen to all the postings, there was a lot of negativity in the community,” he said. “Hopefully, it’s behind us. In any election, you get bad blood. But, if you’re going to be a board member, you have to find common ground. We have to find a new way of doing things to keep the district moving forward.” Schiavoni, who has previously chaired church and professional organizations, is not without practice in mending broken fences. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Schiavoni has a daughter with a doctorate from Ohio State University. The universities boast two of college football’s most successful programs, yet are the bitterest of rivals in all sports. The new school board president said streamlining and then respecting the lines of communication will be essential. “The goal is to unite the board,” said Schiavoni. “Failure is not an option. It’s going to be a challenging year. When you’re going to ask residents to fund a $71.5 million undertaking, that’s a huge challenge in any community - and Sparta is no different.”