HILLSDALE—The Hillsdale Board of Education in a unanimous vote on Feb. 10 tapped Kathleen Puerta to fill the unexpired term of former council veep Christina Jennings, whose term expires on Dec. 31.
Puerta, of Cottage Place, impressed as a longtime administrator and executive assistant with decades of organizational experience. She’s a mom of two young Hillsdale Public School students, and coaches Hillsdale Cheer. Her husband coaches rec soccer in town.
Puerta grew up in Queens, and spent most of her youth in the New York City area. She has been a resident since 2017.
“I have to say that I love this town, the people in this town, the schools of course, and everything that Hillsdale offers,” she told Pascack Press after the vote, at Ann Blanche Smith Elementary School.
Prior to the board’s executive session Feb. 10, the meeting was opened to the public and Puerta was sworn in, Board Secretary Sacha Pouliot said. Puerta has worked as an administrator and project lead, especially in legal affairs, including a major trade union in New York City and a law firm in New York, where she works.
She has been involved with the Meadowbrook Family & Faculty Association since her son entered kindergarten at Meadowbrook School. She is the MFFA’s co-president.
“Now I have a daughter at Meadowbrook and a son at George White, which is in the midst of a very serious project that I have been involved in since the inception of the campaign to fix that school,” she told us. “What unites all of us in Hillsdale is a commitment to ensuring that our community provides every student with the environment necessary for them to succeed and to chase their dreams.”
She added, “Our schools are considered as some of the best in the area because of our teachers and school leadership. That doesn’t happen automatically, of course, so it’s up to us to maintain these standards through the work of the Board of Education and the community coming together.”
She said her selection to the school board was her first foray into local politics and that “I have always been content leading projects and facilitating the work of the group, but I’m very proud to be on this board and dedicated to the success of our schools.”
Jennings’ resignation was effective Dec. 16, 2024.
Retirements, Resignations, and Field Trip Approvals
Also on Feb. 10, the school board approved several retirements, personnel changes, and field trip chaperone assignments, among a long list of housekeeping details.
The board accepted, with regret, the upcoming retirements of three longtime staffers:
- Eileen Thomas, special education teacher at Meadowbrook, effective June 30.
- Cindy Roberts, second-grade teacher at Ann Blanche Smith, effective June 30.
- Trina Wolf, secretary at George White, effective July 31.
The board approved a list of chaperones for the eighth-grade Washington, D.C. field trip set for April 2–4. Staff members will receive their contractual daily rate, with overnight chaperones earning an additional stipend of $204 for the two nights. Chaperones include principal Jaclyn Derwin, several teachers, and school nurse Christina Horton.
The board addressed a personnel matter involving an unnamed employee who had been suspended with pay as of Jan. 30, pending investigation. The employee was reinstated by the superintendent on Feb. 4, and the board ratified this decision.
The BOE is led by president Justin Saxon and vice president Kevin Donatello, whose terms expire in 2027. Board members include Kathleen Puerta and Michael Kenduck, with terms expiring in 2026, and Sal Sileo, whose term expires in 2025.