EDISON — To some, a new interim superintendent who will take the helm of the township’s public schools on July 1 represents a new beginning.
Ronald E. Bolandi will take over a school system that has seen its share of controversy and deep cuts to program and staff in recent times. The Board of Education appointed him in a vote of 7-2 during a special meeting June 22 at J.P. Stevens High School.
The interim superintendent’s contract states that Bolandi will hold the position until a permanent superintendent of schools is appointed and commences work, or until June 30, 2011.
Board members David Dickinson and Joseph Romano cast the votes against Bolandi’s appointment, citing financial reasons.
“My vote is in no way a reflection on Mr. Bolandi as a candidate,” Dickinson said. “My problem is with the $875 salary [at a per diem rate] for the interim superintendent.”
The contract states that the board will pay him $875 for each eight-hour day that he works. However, Board President Gene Maeroff noted that the interim superintendent will not receive any health benefits and will not receive pay for the 46 holidays recognized during the year.
Dickinson, who during a June 14 meeting sought unsuccessfully to give Acting Superintendent of Schools John DiMuzio a three-year contract as superintendent, noted that DiMuzio was also performing as the district’s personnel director for just $18,000 a year, saving the district more than $500 a day. However, in a split vote, the board denied DiMuzio the permanent job. DiMuzio, whose contract as acting superintendent ends on June 30, submitted his retirement papers the day after the vote.
During the June 22 meeting, Romano looked at Bolandi, who was sitting in the front row of the auditorium, and told him, “You are a qualified candidate, but the money is not there.”
“We have 130 or so paraprofessionals and 130 teachers and staff that are gone … our job is to be fiscally responsible,” Romano said, drawing applause from the crowd.
The board, which conducted two fruitless searches for a new superintendent over the past six months, spent roughly four hours in closed session on June 21 and 22 before voting to appoint Bolandi for the interim job.
Bolandi, who is retired as superintendent of the East Windsor Regional School District in Mercer County, spoke to the audience during the meeting. He said he hopes he can help the district, which this spring cut its 2010-11 budget to make up for a $9.7 million loss in state aid, and then made numerous additional reductions after the Township Council ordered a $6.5 million cut.
One issue he mentioned was this spring’s unsuccessful negotiations between school administrators and the teachers’ union, which some hoped would accept a salary freeze.
“My first job is to reach out to your association leadership [the Edison Township Education Association] and have an open dialogue. I want to revisit the issue and see what we can come up with,” he said. “I want to also find out what happened regarding the paraprofessionals. I don’t know what happened, but I know that they are key players in the classroom.”
Bolandi said he does not know what he will be able to accomplish yet, but vowed that he would try to resolve the issues.
“I am not a miracle worker, but I will work and talk to your business administrator and get to a bottom line. The last thing I like to see is people out of work. If I do not succeed, I will at least tell you why, and I promise you that because you all deserve that explanation.”
Board Vice President Aimee Szilagyi said the school district is fortunate to have a person like Bolandi in the top job.
“He comes to us with a world of experience,” she said. “What you saw tonight is a little taste of what we can expect. There’s a saying, ‘You get what you pay for,’ and the person at the superintendent position is the one that makes critical decisions. I was one that was not happy about having one person as the superintendent and personnel director, because the superintendent position alone uses a great deal of energy and if not done correctly it could cost us more.”
Maeroff highlighted Bolandi’s background: He had a hand in gaining voter approval for 22 out of 26 annual school budgets; the creation and passing of more than $250 million in building and technology upgrades; privatizing a district’s busing operation for savings of $3 million; and negotiating a settlement with a union of 1,500 teachers and support staff, thereby avoiding a strike and reducing the number of grievances.
Bolandi has been superintendent in East Windsor, Tewksbury, Piscataway, Chester, Winslow and Middletown. He also served as assistant superintendent in the Middlesex school district.
He received his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Pace University in New York, and both a master’s degree in counseling and special services and an education specialist degree in administration and supervision from Seton Hall University. He is currently working on a doctorate from Seton Hall.
Many parents, teachers, paraprofessionals and staff members came to the podium to welcome the new interim superintendent during the June 22 meeting.
“You’re brave,” said teacher Elizabeth Conway, whose comment brought laughs from Bolandi and others in the crowd. “We wish you all the best. When you spoke, we saw a little glimmer of hope.”