Lawson re-elected president of FRHSD school board

BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer

Ronald Lawson will continue to serve as president of the Freehold Regional High School District Board of Education for the next 12 months.

Lawson, who won re-election to a threeyear term on the board in the April 20 school election, was re-elected as the board’s president when the panel held its annual reorganization meeting on April 26.

Lawson is one of Howell’s two representatives on the board. Howell’s other representative is Bill Bruno.

Heshy Moses, of Freehold Borough, was elected to serve as vice president.

Also during the reorganization meeting, the board reappointed the law firm of Schwartz, Simon, Edelstein, Celso and Zitomer to serve as its attorney.

It was announced that Assistant Superintendent Patricia Emmerman will be retiring from the FRHSD after 22 years with the district. Emmerman, the assistant superintendent for student services, will work her last day on June 30.

There are three other assistant superintendents in the FRHSD: Donna Evangelista, the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction; Sean Boyce, the assistant superintendent for business administration; and Suzanne Koegler, the assistant superintendent for human resources.

In other news, the approximately 40 central office employees who are not represented by a union have agreed to a pay freeze and to pay 1.5 percent of their salary toward the cost of their health care for the 2010-11 school year. FRHSD spokesman James Quirk said those non-union employees include himself, the assistant superintendents and the superintendent.

Responses from the district’s bargaining units, representing union employees, regarding a pay freeze are still pending.

In updating the public on the search for a new superintendent, board member Tom Caiazza of Freehold Township said representatives of firms that want to conduct the search on behalf of the board will be interviewed in closed session.

He said the board hopes to select a search firm in short order.

FRHSD Superintendent of Schools James Wasser is retiring on June 30 and board members have indicated that they will hire a firm to conduct a search for Wasser’s successor. Wasser has been the superintendent for 12 years.