Two newly elected school directors were sworn in, a new board vice-president was elected and parents sounded off about recent troubling events at Wednesday nights Bristol Borough School District reorganization meeting.

New school directors Brianna Curran and Tony Smith were sworn in by District Judge Frank W. Peranteau, Sr  along with Dave Chichilitti and John  D’Angelo who were reelected in November also.

Curran who earned the most voted among candidates is well known for her involvement with borough teens as she is the current president of the Bristol Borough Teen Foundation 

I want to thank everyone who voted for me, Curran said and I’m really excited about getting to work on the board.

Smith was appointed to the board in September after Nunzio DeMarchis resigned from the board in August. 

Chichilitti was voted in by his fellow board members to retain  board presidency as board vice-president Mary Jane Potena-Paglione-  declined to be seated in that role due to ongoing health issues she cited in a letter to the officials.

Potena-Paglione did say in her letter to the board that she fully expects to continue her role as a school director for the remainder of her term and nominated Chichilitti to serve as board president once again.

Its been customary with the board for years that the serving vice-president is then elected to be the board president the following year

With the vice president slot opened up,  Michael Poploskie was elected unanimously to serve in that position for 2022.

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In board related news, during the public participation part of the meeting a parent of a  students attending the high  school voiced concerns  about a troubling event taking place Wednesday.

Specifically, Mr Harold Jackson Jr. said his daughter’s personal safety was endangered because she choose to “speak out” about a unspecified potential incident that was “going to happen” at the high school.

“I’m very frustrated” he  about how this was handled.

Jackson said,  I don’t know whose decision it was, but she was released with all the other students at the same time as a student who spoke of the potential incident threatened her when school let out and told her “to watch her back.”

I felt as though she should have been held at the school and myself and my wife should have been contacted, Jackson said.

She was in “eminent danger.”

District Superintendent Dr Shaffer  said he was unaware of the incident and that he had no information about it but invited Jackson to meet with him the following day (Thursday) to discuss the matter in more detail.

Chichilitti suggested a police report should be filed.

Thursday Morning, Shaffer said the incident involving the female student was unrelated to the incident that lead to the early school dismissal of students just after 11:30 am Wednesday.

That incident came to the attention of school officials through the Safe2Say app Shaffer said.

The app was instrumental in alerting officials about the first “threat”  reported to officials late Sunday night that led to the cancelling of classes for junior and high school students. 

Shaffer said he expected charges to be filed against the student who caused the high school to close but declined to comment “at this time” on what the district will do in regards to the second incident on Wednesday,

Charges against either student have yet to be filed, Police said Friday.