Sto-Rox rejects board candidate with no explanation
By Elizabeth Perry
Sto-Rox School Board directors voted no on the appointment of Michael Vattimo for the Region 1 seat vacated last month by outgoing director Samantha Levitzki-Wright.
Directors declined to comment on the reasons behind the decision. Director Tyler Kochirka was absent from the meeting, but the vote was otherwise unanimous.
Vattimo was in attendance at the Aug. 17 meeting and seemed surprised by the course of the vote, saying he had received an email requesting he attend. He had been under the impression he was there to accept the appointment.
Vattimo said he wanted the job because “he was looking to give back.”
Currently, he is the chairman of the McKees Rocks Republican Party, a member of the McKees Rocks Planning Commission and an ambassador for McKees Rocks Community Development Corporation.
Vattimo is considering a run for the seat in November.
The board is down by two directors since the resignations of Ken Hohman in Region 2 and Levitzki-Wright in Region 1, leaving seven members. Though the evening did not see an addition to the board, there was a commendation made to honor a long-standing member.
Commendation
Treasurer Lucille Young was awarded a certificate for eight years of service on the board from the Pennsylvania School Board Association.
After being presented with the certificate from President Cameron Culliver, she was silent for a long moment holding back tears. When she was able to gather her composure, she said it was “very rare that I’m at a loss for words.”
“This is not easy work,” Young said. “I am so overwhelmed and shocked because I did not see this coming. I think I’m a very intuitive person, but I missed it. I missed it.”
Young went on to say that serving on the school board kept her going through “difficult personal times” and that there were moments when her service was the only thing she looked forward to after “tremendous loss” in her life.
“When you find yourself sitting at this table you learn how to stand, when you don’t think you can stand,” Young said.