Veteran Educator Joseph Triano Appointed to Scranton School Board

The Scranton School Board has tapped retired longtime educator and administrator Joseph Triano to fill the vacant seat left by Tara Yanni’s resignation earlier this month.

Triano was appointed in an 8–0 vote Monday night after public interviews with four applicants. He was sworn in immediately and will serve the remainder of Yanni’s term, which runs through December 2027.

A fixture in Scranton education for decades, Triano spent more than 30 years in the district as a teacher, vice principal, and principal. His career included time as principal of West Scranton High School and John Marshall Elementary, as well as vice principal at North Scranton Intermediate.

Triano emphasized school safety, curriculum training, budgeting experience, and “common sense” as priorities he will bring to the role.

The appointment followed a selection process in which board members identified their top choices on written slips tallied by the secretary. Six members favored Triano, while board President Ty Holmes and Director Catherine Fox preferred Green Ridge resident Tamara Murray Leety.

Among the applicants was Pedro Luis Anés, head of the city’s Human Relations Commission. That body has faced scrutiny since member Michael Villa — appointed by Mayor Paige Cognetti — was arrested in connection with a school dictrict-wide lockdown and assault. City Solicitor Jessica Eskra has acknowledged Villa’s appointment was tied to his involvement with the Scranton Area Foundation and that, at the time, the administration’s vetting process did not include criminal background checks.

The fourth applicant, business co-owner John Howe, is currently running for one of four board seats in the November election. Had Howe been appointed and also win in November, it would have created another vacancy.

Yanni, first elected in 2019 and reelected in 2023, stepped down September 12 amid mounting criticism of her record, citing only that she was “no longer comfortable serving” on the board. Her departure marked the second resignation this year, following Katie Gilmartin’s unexplained exit in March. The board previously appointed Jenna Strzelecki to replace Gilmartin in April.

For now, Triano’s appointment provides the board with an experienced hand as it navigates budget pressures, labor talks, and lingering concerns about school safety following last week’s districtwide lockdown.