The search for a new superintendent to lead the Freehold Regional High School District is going to be coordinated by a professional firm, although a decision on which firm will be hired to undertake the assignment has still not been determined.
During its April 12 meeting at Marlboro High School, the members of the FRHSD Board of Education discussed how they would like to go about finding an individual to succeed James Wasser.
Wasser will retire as the FRHSD’s superintendent in June.
Board President Ronald Lawson of Howell referred to materials provided by the New Jersey School Boards Association. He said the materials provided a significant amount of information to aid the board in its search for a new superintendent.
Lawson asked his fellow board members if anyone believed that the panel should conduct the search on its own or if it should hire a professional company to conduct the search.
Marlboro representative Barry Hochberg said he did not think the board was qualified to conduct such a search completely on its own. Lawson said he agreed with that assessment.
The board members discussed forming a subcommittee of a several members who would sort through proposals that had been received from various search firms.
At the time of the April 12 board meeting the district had already received four proposals from search firms and officials said a fifth proposal was expected to arrive soon.
The subcommittee will consist of board members Heshy Moses of Freehold Borough, William Bruno of Howell, Jennifer Sutera of Manalapan and Tom Caiazza of Freehold Township.
Moses, who is a retired employee of the FRHSD (he was a teacher and coach at Freehold High School) said that he definitely wanted to be on the search committee.
Lawson asked the subcommittee members to review the proposals from the search firms and to bring a select few to the full board for its consideration. He asked that at most three firms be presented for consideration at the next board meeting, which is scheduled for April 26.
Members of the public had expressed their desire to be a part of a committee to seek a new superintendent. Lawson said the members of the public would have an opportunity to be involved in the process after the board selects a firm to conduct the search for a new superintendent.
The Freehold Regional High School District has eight sending municipalities and operates six high schools that have a total enrollment of about 11,800 pupils.