Branford's Board of Education (BOE) once again has a full compliment of nine members, following the BOE's April 11 vote to appoint Dawn Perrotti to fill a vacated seat.  

Perrotti's appointment fills a seat left open by the January, 2018 passing of long-serving BOE member Judith L. Hotz. Hotz had been re-elected to serve a third BOE term in the November, 2017 municipal election. While Hotz was elected to serve a six-year term, municipal election rules call for Perrotti's appointment to expire upon the next municipal election (Nov. 2019), when the seat becomes a two-year opening on the ballot, according to the Town Clerk's office.

The BOE convened with eight members to interview three candidates on April 11. Just before going into executive session, BOE Chair Michael Krause gave a brief public statement, saying "...the board is excited to interview the candidates who have expressed an interest to serve their community by being on the Board of Education. The board is committed to selecting a candidate that has a strong record of supporting all children and to working collaboratively with others to serve the community in the important endeavor of educating Branford's children. We recognize each candidate brings their experience, expertise and willingness to the interview process."

In addition to Perrotti, the board also interviewed candidates Rob Sember and Chris Hynes, Krause told Zip06/The Sound. Following nearly two hours in executive session on April 11, seven BOE members voted in favor of appointing Perrotti, with BOE member Maria Ehrhardt abstaining.

"I and the rest of the Board of Education members appreciate and want to thank Rob, Chris and Dawn for going through the interview process to fill the vacant seat on the board," said Krause. "Rob, Chris, and Dawn all have an interest in continuing to improve the education system in Branford for the betterment of our children and community. I hope Rob and Chris will continue to attend our meetings to give us their suggestions and thoughts. The board looks forward to working with Dawn and bringing her knowledge and background into our discussions."

A Branford resident since 1988, Perrotti is now in her 17th year as a Special Education teacher with Madison Public Schools, teaching at the town's Polson Middle School. She is also an adjunct professor at West Hartford's University of St. Joseph. Perrotti earned her Masters in Special Education from Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) and her B.S. in Social Work from Marist College. Additionally, she has completed 36 credit hours in SCSU's School Administrator program. In the summer, Perrotti serves as Camp Director of Killam's Point Day Camp in Short Beach.

As a mother of three who all attended Branford Public Schools, Perrotti became an active parent volunteer in the school system and with various sports teams, including Branford Stingrays, Branford Soccer Club, Branford High School (BHS) Cross Country and Track and Field, and BHS Swim and Dive teams. She served as a PTO president and also chaired BHS Project Graduation for five years. Perrotti is also a former Executive Director of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Fairfield County and former board members of Wallingford Big Brothers/Big Sisters.