3 Westfield BOE Members Sworn In; Benacchio, Sonnek-Schmelz Remain President, VP

WESTFIELD, NJ — The Westfield Board of Education held its annual reorganization meeting on Tuesday, swearing in two new members and one returning member, as well as selecting the board’s president and vice president for the upcoming school year.Incumbent board member Kent Diamond was sworn in for his second term on the board. Joining him were new board members Anthony Tessitore and Patrick Duffy. The three ran unopposed for three open seats on the board in April.All three board members spoke with TAPinto Westfield after the meeting, giving a few thoughts on what it meant to be sworn in. Diamond, the lone incumbent of the three, was looking forward to having a chance to implement all of the work that he and his fellow board members accomplished in the past few years.“It’s exciting to be back for another three years,” Diamond said. “Especially with the referendum going on [and] full-day kindergarten happening. It’s an exciting time to be here. Thrilled to be a part of it, happy the voters elected me to come back.”For the newcomers, the excitement was palpable. Tessitore and Duffy were both looking forward to what their terms will bring.“I’ve always considered service to the public to be a very important thing for the citizens of our community,” Tessitore said. “The ability to do it in such a wonderful town, where there’s clear effort and dedication to our schools and our children, it’s an honor to be part of that process.”“I’m excited to be a part of the Westfield Board of Education,” Duffy said. “I’m excited to give back to my community, and I’m looking forward to the next three years of helping out the schools.”Later on in the meeting, the board selected its president and vice president for the upcoming year. Current Board President Robert Benacchio and Vice President Kristen Sonnek-Schmelz were unanimously selected by their fellow board members to retain their current positions for another year. (Board member Julie Steinberg was absent from the meeting.)Benacchio took a moment after being named president again to thank his fellow board members for their continued support of his position.“Thank you very much for the votes of confidence [and] thank you very much for the nomination,” Benacchio said. “We’ve done a lot of great work together in the past and I’m looking forward to doing that in the future.”Lastly, the board also approved its preliminary slate of meeting dates for 2026-27. The dates are subject to change as needed, but are currently set for Aug. 25, 2026, Sept. 15, 2026, Oct. 13, 2026, Nov. 17, 2026, Dec. 15, 2026, Jan. 19, 2027, Feb. 16, 2027, March 2 and 30, 2027, Apr. 13, 2027, May 4 and 11, 2027 and June 22, 2027.