King ends 37 years


Charles KingCharles King

of service with E.B.

Current board member, former teacher and

principal moving to Fla.

By vincent todaro

Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK — The school community will say goodbye to one of its most well-known figures tonight when Charles King is expected to resign from the Board of Education.

King, a longtime school district employee who served on the board for the past seven years, is stepping down because he is moving to Florida. He is expected to be honored at tonight’s board meeting, and his resignation would become effective tomorrow.

King, who served as board vice president before his resignation, has a history in the district dating back to the mid-1960s. He began his tenure there in 1966 as a social studies teacher.

He moved to East Brunswick a year later, and in 1968 was chairman of the social studies department. He remained chairman until 1973 when he took on the role of the district’s athletic director. That position encompassed health, physical education and athletics, he said.

In 1987, King was made principal of East Brunswick High School, a job he held until his retirement in 1996.

He didn’t stay out of the district spotlight for long.

Soon after retiring, he was appointed to fill the remainder of an unexpired term on the board. A year later he won a one-year term, then stayed on to serve two consecutive three-year terms.

He said part of the reason he joined the board was to accomplish things he couldn’t as principal.

"I became frustrated when I was principal the last couple of years because there were improvements that needed to be made quickly," he said. "We were working with substandard facilities, such as heating, and no matter how hard you tried to be the best you could be, it was uphill. It was one of the reasons in my retirement."

Moving to the board gave him the ability to finally make upgrades at the high school, he said.

"The frustration has led to a great deal of satisfaction," he said, adding he is also proud of the recent upgrades at the Churchill School.

King said he and his wife, Linda, are moving to Deland, Fla., to be closer to their son, Michael, and two grandchildren. Linda recently retired from her job teaching at the Memorial School. Moving to Florida also will bring King and his wife closer to their son, Timothy, who lives in North Carolina, and daughter, Colleen, who also lives in Florida.

He said two of his proudest accomplishments are his work with the girls’ athletic program and the awards won by the high school.

As athletic director, he helped the girls athletic program grow and develop, he said. When he was principal, the high school was designated a Blue Ribbon school.

As a board member, King said he is especially proud of the decision to televise board meetings, an issue he supported.

"It’s one of the better things we’ve done," he said.

Board President Michael Baker, who has been on the board for nine years, said King brought a great deal of experience and commitment to the district.

"He really does live and breathe East Brunswick," he said.

King was particularly interested in the performance of student athletes, Baker noted, and his expertise on buildings and grounds issues has been invaluable.

"I’ve enjoyed serving with him, and looked up to him for his experience," Baker said. "He’s earned his retirement."

Superintendent of Schools Jo Ann Magistro said King has moved the district forward in terms of his drive to improve facilities and renovate school buildings.

"Charlie is going to be very much missed, not only as a staff member in the district but as a board member," she said.

Though he is not certain the board wants his parting advice, King said there continues to be major needs to be addressed at the elementary schools. Upgrades to heating and lighting must be made, and enrollment and space issues must be addressed as well, he said.

"The list is rather long," he said. "The plan is pretty much there, but needs to be refined. They need to decide how to do that. I think it will happen eventually."

What also concerns him even as he leaves the board is the district’s financial position.

"The budget situation is unfortunately not getting a whole lot better unless there’s less reliance on property taxes," he said. "I think it’s got to change. You can’t keep fighting that battle each year."

He stressed, however, that East Brunswick residents have been very supportive, and understand that education is very important.