District hopes to hire super by September

Chief should be ready for the beginning of 2003-2004 school year.

By: Rebecca Tokarz
   The school board has restarted its search for new a superintendent, and hopes to have one in time for the start of the 2003-2004 school year.
   The board also may examine a list of private recruiting firms that could be used if it is unhappy with its pool of candidates.
   Board President Bob Long said a new schools chief will be found if everything goes according to plan.
   "It’s feasible to have a superintendent in place by Sept. 1," he said .
   The district needs to find a replacement for Superintendent Sam Stewart, who announced last year that he will retire, effective July 1. His current salary is $163,500.
   The district’s top candidate to replace Dr. Stewart — former superintendent of Holmdel and Bound Brook Leigh Bryon — requested the board withdraw his name from consideration on April 4.
   The district used the New Jersey School Boards Association for its initial search at a cost of $5,000. The NJSBA’s contractual obligations were fulfilled when the district brought Dr. Byron in for a district visit on March 25. The NJSBA search resulted in 23 candidates, nine of whom were interviewed in January and February. On April 14, the board extended its contract with NJSBA.
   The extension will cost the district $2,500 and the district can withdraw at any time at no cost if it doesn’t like the candidate pool, according to school officials.
   The school board officially reopened its search with NJSBA on Sunday when an advertisement for the position appeared in several newspapers. The application deadline is May 16. All completed applications must be submitted to NJSBA by May 30.
   First round interviews could be held the first week of June. Second round interviews should be held around June 16, according to Mr. Long.
   Once possible finalists are identified, reference checks will done. A district walk-through could be scheduled with an individual sometime around the second or third week of June, according to Mr. Long.
   The board also is considering using private search firms should it decide the candidate pool is not adequate, Mr. Long said.
   Until the board makes a decision on the candidate pool, the board will do nothing more than just discuss the list and research what other districts have done and how it has worked out for them, he said.
   Mr. Long said the board will monitor the process of the search and, depending on the results, could hire an interim superintendent. A committee has been formed to look into a list of possible candidates should one be needed, he said.
   "By May 12, the board should have a good idea of where it’s going to go because it will be so close to the May 16 deadline," Mr. Long said.