Danielle Zill-Barry to fill vacant seat on Sussex-Wantage school board

Sussex. The Sussex-Wantage school board on July 29 selected Danielle Zill-Barry to fill the vacant seat on the board for the rest of the year.

Former school board member Jennifer Craig resigned her position earlier in the month.

The school board interviewed Zill-Barry and Patricia Hefferan in public session. The board selected Zill-Barry after a lengthy deliberation in executive session.

“I want to say congratulations to Mrs. Zill-Barry, but I wanted to thank Pat so much for your time,” school board president Nick D’Agostino said. “This was a very difficult decision, and unfortunately, the board has to pick one or the other. Personally, I was very inspired by your story and what you’ve overcome in your life, and I do think you have a heart for service. So, I would love to see you serving in an aspect in our community.”

Zill-Barry is a lifelong Wantage resident with two children currently in the Sussex-Wantage district. Her oldest daughter is entering ninth grade at High Point Regional High School. She is a realtor with Kistle Realty in Branchville.

She said the board member’s role is to listen to the concerns of the parents, students, and everyone in the community to get all aspects of the issues, one of which is getting the district back on track after the Covid-19 pandemic. She also said bullying is an issue the school must deal with on a daily basis.

“The whole point of this is to enhance children and have a good school district for the kids,” Zill-Barry said. “That’s what we’re here for. That’s why we live in Wantage. That’s why we should want our kids to live here. I sell houses for a living. I really pump up our school district.”