School board members vote to eliminate several positions

BY MARK ROSMAN Staff Writer

ENGLISHTOWN — The Manalapan- Englishtown Regional School District Board of Education has voted to eliminate several staff positions. The board took the action at its meeting on March 2.

According to resolutions that appeared on the meeting agenda, the board approved the elimination of five resource room teachers effective July 1 due to decreased enrollment (reduction in force).

The board also approved the elimination of six full-time instructional assistants effective July 1 due to decreased enrollment (reduction in force).

And, the board approved the elimination of three part-time instructional assistants effective July 1 due to decreased enrollment (vacant at this time).

All three resolutions state that these recommendations are based on flat state aid funding for the 2010-11 school year and may be withdrawn, amended or reconsidered should actual state aid amounts increase or decrease.

Administrators said the board expects to introduce and adopt a tentative budget for the 2010-11 school year on March 16 and to hold the public hearing and final adoption of the budget on March 23.

The annual school board election will be held on April 20.

According to information provided by the school district, former board member Michele Stipelman is running unopposed to complete a one-year unexpired term.

There are three available three-year terms on the board and the candidates running for those terms are Brian Graime, Martin Spindel, James Mumolie and Diane Bindler.

Mumolie and Spindel are current board members.

Board members Joanne Orr and Diana Stafford-Napier are not seeking re-election.

All of the board seats that are up this year are for representatives from Manalapan, so residents of Englishtown will only vote on the budget question on April 20 and will not elect a representative to the board.

There are nine members on the board; eight from Manalapan and one from Englishtown. Lori Semel is Englishtown’s representative and she was re-elected to a three-year term in April 2009.