BY JOYCE BLAY
Staff Writer
LAKEWOOD — The Board of Education has named acting Superintendent of Schools Edward Luick the district’s permanent top administrator.
Board members voted to approve the appointment on July 6. Board President Chet Galdo and board members Meir Grunhut, Simcha Shain, Meir Neumann, Bruce Stern and Abrham Ostreicher voted to name Luick. Board members Leonard Thomas, Norman Bellinger and Irene Miccio were not present.
Galdo said Luick was offered a three-year contract effective July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2008. Luick will be paid approximately $160,000 per year in the first year of the contract.
Luick succeeds Ernest Cannava, who stepped down from the position Nov. 15. The board named Ann Murphy Garcia the district’s interim superintendent of schools Nov. 29. Garcia resigned Feb. 10. Luick was appointed acting superintendent in May.
His appointment as superintendent ends a search the board conducted with the assistance of the New Jersey School Boards Association.
Luick, 57, a resident of Wall, graduated with a major in mathematics from Jersey City State Teachers College. He earned his master’s degree from Seton Hall University in educational administration and supervision.
In 1973, Luick joined the district as a Lakewood High School mathematics teacher and an assistant football coach. He became assistant principal of the high school in 1979 and was promoted to principal of the Lakewood Middle School in 1985.
In 1991, Luick was appointed assistant superintendent of schools. In 1999, he was also made board secretary following the retirement of Delores Irwin.
Luick and his wife, Marilee, have three grown children. His daughter, Courtney, is a senior at Syracuse Univer-sity with a major in communications and marketing; his oldest son, Jonathan, a Princeton graduate, is attending George-town School of Law; and his youngest son, Christopher, who graduated from Wall High School this year, will be attending Lafayette College this fall.
Galdo said Luick’s performance as acting superintendent was so impressive that the board decided to appoint him to the job permanently.
Effective July 1, the board also appointed William T. Anderson, formerly principal of Lakewood High School, to the position of acting assistant superintendent of schools in charge of curriculum. Anderson will head a search committee to find a new principal to replace him at the high school.
Robert Ostrove, principal of the Lakewood Middle School, assumed the position of principal of the Clifton Avenue School as of July 1. He succeeds acting principal Joseph Attardi, who will retire this fall. A search is also being conducted for a new middle school principal.
Galdo said additional administrative appointments could be announced soon.
“Right now the finance department is working extremely well under the superintendent and we’re interviewing candidates for the position of business manager,” Galdo said.