Schools

Board of Education Candidate Withdraws from Race

One of the three candidates in the running for Carol Cinelli's seat has withdrawn her name from the ballot.

The withdrawal of one of the three candidates in the run for the Bayport-Blue Point Board of Education has led the district to re-open nomination petitions, allowing residents interested in candidacy to file their paperwork by May 10 at 5 p.m.

Candidate Daniene Byrne withdrew her name from the ballot earlier this week. Byrne continues to encourage others to vote in favor of the budget on May 17, and her interest in the school district remains strong.

"I still support the quality of education and I want the budget to pass," she said.

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Along with Rita Palma and incumbent Diane D'Angelo, Byrne was in the race for the (three-year-term) seat on the board currently held by Carol Cinelli.

The seats occupied by current board members Cinelli, D'Angelo and Dr. Anthony Donatelli would normally have been occupied come July, but due to the passing of a referendum calling for the reduction of the board from nine to seven members, the candidates can only race for Cinelli's seat. The names of the three board members who had reached the end of their term were put into a hat, and Cinelli's seat was drawn as the one candidates would run for, leaving the other two "nonexistent."

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Both Cinelli and Dr. Donatelli chose not to run again.

District clerk Jeanine Browning said she will re-draw names for the ballot after 5 p.m. on May 10, the deadline for petition filing. The former ballot order was Byrne, D'Angelo, then Palma, but the re-drawing may change that, according to Browning. 

At this time, there's no way of telling how many residents will file for candidacy. 

"There could be two or three (more) people, or there could be nobody," Browning said.

Here is the announcement of Byrne's withdrawal as it reads on the school district website homepage:

DUE TO THE WITHDRAWAL OF A CANDIDATE FOR THE SEAT ON THE BAYPORT-BLUE POINT BOARD OF EDUCATION CURRENTLY HELD BY CAROL A. CINELLI, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that petitions nominating candidates for this office of Member of the Board of Education of the Bayport-Blue Point Union Free School District shall be filed with the District Clerk of said School District at the District Clerk’s office, Administrative Center, 189 Academy Street, Bayport, NY 11705, not later than Tuesday, May 10, 2011, at 5:00 p.m., prevailing time. Vacancies on the Board of Education are considered separate, specific offices; and the nominating petitions, therefore, shall describe the specific vacancy upon the Board of Education for which the candidate is nominated and shall describe at least the length of the term of office and contain the name of the last incumbent. All nominating petitions must be signed by at least 59 qualified voters of the District (59 representing 2% of the number of voters who voted in the last School District election); must state the name and residence of each signer, and must state the name and residence of the candidate. 


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