Anthony Tonzini Jr. will take post when Assistant Superintendent for Business Jeff Scott retires Nov. 30.
By: Chinenye Okparanta
The school board announced Monday that Anthony Tonzini Jr. will become the new business administrator when Assistant Superintendent for Business Jeff Scott retires on Nov. 30.
Mr. Scott announced his retirement in September after a 12-year tenure with the district.
Mr. Tonzini Jr., who will take over Mr. Scott’s duties, has been employed for the last five years as the business administrator for the Freehold School District. Superintendent of Schools Gary McCartney, said Mr. Tonzini was chosen by the school board out of a pool of 35 candidates because of his technical and interpersonal skills.
"Mr. Tonzini was the clear choice," Dr. McCartney said. "He has the technical skills necessary to manage the financial affairs of the district and the interpersonal skills to interface with members of the public."
Mr. Tonzini graduated from Monmouth College with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and earned a master’s degree in education from Rider University. Before joining the Freehold School District he worked as the assistant business administrator for Monroe Township public schools.
Mr. Tonzini will start on Jan. 23 as the business administrator/board secretary with an annual salary of $122,500.
Dr. McCartney said that with the help of Assistant Business Administrator Joan Bonk and Director of Personnel Michael Lacey, the Business Department will run as usual until Mr. Tonzini starts.
Hired in February 1993 as the school business administrator, Mr. Scott was promoted in 2002 to his current post as assistant superintendent for business/board secretary. Mr. Scott said he has since been in charge of payroll, purchasing, facilities, food service, community education and overseeing the financial operations of the district.
Mr. Scott said that the district should be commended for handling the increase in student enrollment so well during the past few years.
"I’m most proud of the fact that we’ve been able to maintain quality education during rapid student growth," he said.
When Mr. Scott joined the school district 12 years ago, there were about 4,500 students. That number will have doubled when the next school year begins in September of 2006.
"When I arrived we were just in the beginning stages of planning for that growth and what we were going to do to accommodate the growth and provide the necessary facilities for the additional students," he said.
Even though he won’t be with the district to see the completion of many of the projects he helped begin, Mr. Scott said this is an appropriate time to leave.
He has finished the audit or the annual inspection of the districts accounts and finances for the previous school year.
"I’m leaving now because our audit has been completed for 04 and 05," Mr. Scott said. "Before we get into building another budget I thought it’d be a good time to make the break. Let the new person be part of the budget-building process. And I always feel it’s good to leave when you’re at the top of your game, as opposed to hanging on too long."