Pascack Valley Regional Board of Education Vice President Janet Bissinger has resigned from the Board, per a news brief sent Friday by Superintendent Erik Gundersen. The Board will vote to appoint a new vice president at its meeting on Monday, March 22.

Bissinger represented Montvale on the Board since 2013 and was up for reelection this November. This year, she chaired the Board’s Negotiations and Policy committees, while also holding positions on the Equity and Finance committees. The Board voted unanimously to reelect her as vice president in January.

While on the Board, Bissinger kept her focus on the financial climate of the school and students’ success. She supported the removal of the Cowboys and Indians mascots at Hills and Pascack Valley, and recently joined four other members in approving new mascots for the district.

“I think we need to move forward and we need to show support for the jobs we were asked to do by going ahead and voting for [students and staff’s] choice as a mascot,” Bissinger said at the Board’s March 8 meeting. She opposed a motion made by Board member Joseph Blundo to revisit the mascots at a later date. 

Bissinger was a nurse before serving on the Board, and she received a Masters of Public Health degree in Epidemiology and Health Care Management.

Her daughter graduated from Pascack Hills, and outside of the Board, Bissinger has remained active in the Montvale community. She has volunteered at several organizations in Montvale, including as president of the Montvale PTO, and currently volunteers at the Memorial Elementary School Library. Bissinger also served as a liaison between the Hills Parent Faculty Association and the Board.

The Trailblazer reached out to Bissinger for comment Friday but has not heard back. Superintendent Erik Gundersen declined to elaborate on the reason for Bissinger’s resignation.