MORRISVILLE SCHOOLS
The school board vacated her seat after she didn't attend any school board meetings for a year.
For the past 12 months, Robin Reithmeyer hasn't attended a single meeting as an elected member of the Morrisville school board.
And it's taken the board that long to remove her from the seat.
The board took action last week, after a year in which neither Reithmeyer nor school board members talked to one another. During each meeting over the year, members had assumed she would show up at the next meeting, one board member said.
Reithmeyer said last week that illness and family crises made it impossible for her to attend meetings. And she's uncertain whether she'll fight to get back her seat.
"I'm undecided," she said, adding that she found out about the board's action Thursday morning.
Head board directors - President Bill Hellmann, Vice President Alfred Radosti and board secretary Marlys Mihok - knew about the death of Reithmeyer's father in December. But they weren't aware of Reithmeyer's health problem, Mihok said last week.
She added that a policy requires school board members to call her when they plan to be absent. Reithmeyer said she's not aware of the policy, but did call the secretary assigned to the board, Jeanne Corrigan. Since Corrigan doesn't talk to the media, the newspaper couldn't confirm that Reithmeyer called her.
Reithmeyer said she told former Superintendent Elizabeth Yonson about her health troubles and thought Yonson would have told the board members.
Neither Hellmann, Radosti nor Mihok reached out to Reithmeyer to address her absence.
"No, I can't say we tried to contact her," Mihok said.
So when Reithmeyer was a no-show for nearly a year, the board directed solicitor Thomas Profy to take action. A letter was sent to Reithmeyer dated Oct. 25, two days before Wednesday's school board meeting, informing her that the board intended to declare her seat vacant.
"She could have let one of us know of her illness," Mihok said. "If she couldn't contact us personally, a note could have gone a long way. + With regret, we vacated her seat. It's for the best of the community."
The non-communication between Reithmeyer and the majority of the board isn't a surprise.
Reithmeyer often clashed with fellow board members - mostly with Mihok, Hellmann and member Brenda Worob - on major issues such as school renovation projects and finances. Arguments between Reithmeyer and the board majority would sometimes get heated.
She often said the board majority hurried into decisions and was too focused on saving money. And she accused Hellmann of being closed-mouthed about his thoughts and plans. In many issues she was the lone vote, such as opposing implementing an early retirement incentive plan.
Board members have 30 days from Wednesday to replace Reithmeyer, according to the board's solicitor.
Whom will they appoint?
"Someone to contribute to the school district and (who) has common sense," Hellmann said after Wednesday's meeting.
Before Wednesday's vote, Profy sent a letter to Reithmeyer dated Oct. 25, informing her that the board intended to declare her seat vacant under the Public School Code, which "authorizes a Board of School Directors to declare a vacancy, if a School Director neglects or refuses to attend two successive regular meetings of the School Board unless, of course, detained by sickness and/or an otherwise necessary and justified absence," the letter states.
The letter continues, "You will be given an opportunity to show that your absence was caused by sickness and/or an otherwise necessary and justified absence has caused your failure to attend the two previous successive regular meetings of the school board."
Reithmeyer responded to Profy with a letter dated Oct. 27, which was also copied to William Ferrara, acting superintendent, and Paul DeAngelo, the business manager. In the letter she asked that her letter be distributed to all board directors.
"On Aug. 25 I was in the emergency room at St. Mary Medical Center; clearly out of the district and unable to attend the school board meeting. I spoke to both Jeanne Corrigan and Paul DeAngelo that afternoon and asked that they state only that I would not be in attendance. I did not feel it was anyone's business and asked that it not become a public issue," Reithmeyer said in her letter.
She was at the hospital because her mother was admitted, Reithmeyer said last week in a phone interview.
The letter continues, "After being hospitalized Sept. 16 through (Sept.) 18, I was under a doctor's care and not released to normal activity at the time of the Sept. 22 meeting. I did not realize that my private struggles with health and my family needed to be made public. + Additionally, I will not be at the Oct. 27 meeting because I will be out of the district at the time of the meeting."
She added, "I truly hope that everyone on the board will be held to the same standard."
School director Worob hasn't attended meetings in a few months also because of a recurring illness.
"Brenda keeps in constant communication with us, keeping the board updated about her health," Mihok said. "So it's different."
Gema Maria Duarte can be reached at 215-949-4195 or gduarte@phillyBurbs.com
