South hires James Bevere as principal

By Linda Seida, Staff Writer
   WEST AMWELL — Sparta High School Vice Principal James Bevere will become South Hunterdon Regional High School’s new principal Monday.
   The Board of Education voted unanimously to hire Mr. Bevere Sept. 16 at a salary of $105,000.
   Mr. Bevere will replace Donald Woodring, who resigned in August and will become the principal of Manville High School on Oct. 1 at a salary of about $110,000.
   South will pay Mr. Bevere $105,000.
   ”He’s incredible,” said board President Bob Campbell of Mr. Bevere. “He was the unanimous choice of the committee.”
   The search committee consisted of parents, students, teachers, Mr. Campbell, board member Laurie Weinstein, Superintendent Nancy Gartenberg and Assistant Principal Mike Godown.
   Before going to Sparta, Mr. Bevere taught social studies for six years in South Jersey. He was Sparta’s vice principal for a year before he became acting principal of the 1,300-student school, a job he held for about 18 months, before reverting to vice principal.
   During his time as acting principal, he oversaw a $70 million construction project similar to the $20 million project South Hunterdon celebrated earlier this month with a dedication ceremony.
   ”They did basically what we did,” Mr. Campbell said. “He’s done the whole gamut. He was basically there running the school for a year and a half. He did a fantastic job.”
   About two weeks ago, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Godown and a parent spent the better part of a school day at Sparta as part of the interview process, talking to teachers, students and administrators.
   ”A number of teachers said if we had any openings at South Hunterdon, they would follow him here,” Mr. Campbell said.
   Mr. Campbell declined to say if some sort of conflict precipitated Mr. Woodring’s resignation.
   ”He handed in his resignation, and it was accepted by the board,” he said. “That’s about all I can tell you.”
   Mr. Woodring would have marked 20 years with the district in March 2009. He started as a special education teacher and then became the assistant principal and the athletic director before becoming principal in 2003. He was drawing a salary of about $97,000 when he resigned.
   He said he decided to go because he “wanted to get into a K-12 district.”
   At Manville, the student body of about 450 isn’t much larger than South Hunterdon’s, but Mr. Woodring said the two positions are different. For example, at Manville, Mr. Woodring will be the top official in the high school.
   At South, he was not the only administrator; he shared the building with the superintendent and a business administrator.
   ”At a K-12 district, the principal is in charge of the building,” he said. “It’s more responsibility, a sole responsibility. And it creates another challenge.”