The Saucon Valley School Board voted to appoint Lower Saucon resident Eric Adams, 5-2, to finish former board member Lanita Lum's term during the board's Aug. 20 meeting. Board members Edward Inghrim and Susan Baxter voted against appointing Adams.

Lum resigned from the board in July.

Board member Sandra Miller argued other board members discussed who they intended to select for the open seat outside the parameters of a formal meeting.

"I believe Sunshine rules [Pennsylvania Sunshine Act] apply here," she said.

"I don't think we can prevent, say, one member and another member talking ...," Solicitor Mark Fitzgerald commented.

Fitzgerald said his concern would be with multiple members of the school board, "in the majority," discussing such a topic outside of a meeting setting.

Board President Michael Karabin asked Miller to provide evidence of her allegation. Miller only commented she overheard a conversation taking place in the hallway regarding appointing a new member.

Miller expressed an interest in appointing Cedric Dettmar of Lower Saucon since, she said, he has attended numerous school board meetings and ran for an open seat in the May primary.

"He's been an active participant at these meetings," Miller said. "We have someone who knows what is going on." Miller also said it would be beneficial to appoint someone to the board who is a parent of a child attending a school in in the district.

Inghrim and Baxter said they would not appoint someone who the voters did not support in the last election.

"The last time we had to choose someone, I said that I would not vote for someone the voters did not approve in the primary," Inghrim said.

Board member Charles Bartolet also nominated Jason Banonis who did not receive board support.

Other candidates for the vacant school board seat included Jeanne Reilly and Ellen Seipp.

"I personally think they're all qualified," Bartolet said of the candidates for the open seat.