By: Christopher Sacco – Staff Writer
FLORENCE – The Lounsberry family will learn tonight, Thursday, if their son, Jake, will be allowed to transfer from Florence Township School District to Northern Burlington County in order to be a part of its AgriScience Program.
Tonight’s special meeting to decide the issue comes on the heels of Monday’s Board of Education meeting where young Jake Lounsberry’s education was the main topic of discussion.
Jake wants to be a part of NBC’s AgriScience Program so he can begin learning the skills necessary to become a sixth-generation farmer. The tuition would cost the board about $2,000, according to his mother.
Many of the 20-member audience were there in support of the Lounsberrys.
"We find it sad that you disregarded the demand for farmers in this town, in this county, and in this state," Gina Lounsberry, Jake’s mother, said while reading from a prepared statement.
Ms. Lounsberry questioned why board President Emma Cartier had not circulated a supportive letter from New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Doug Fisher to the rest of the school board. Ms. Cartier apologized and cited a miscommunication with Superintendent Louis Talarico as the cause.
Ms. Lounsberry was also angered that it had taken over three months before their issue was added to any public meeting agenda. Her husband, Bob Lounsberry, then added that he felt the votes of the board had been swayed by an outside source, a claim that Ms. Cartier and Vice President Jean Shelen flatly denied.
Ms. Cartier then told the Lounsberrys that she has called a special public meeting, which will be held tonight, Thursday, at the Florence Board of Education Office, after which the board will vote on whether to admit Jake.
A board member who wished to remain anonymous said the president requested no one comment on the matter until tonight’s meeting.
In other business, the proposed contract renewal of Business Administrator and Board Secretary Bruce Benedetti was also a major topic. The new contract would have Mr. Benedetti assuming all duties of the educational facilities manager, thus eliminating that position entirely and its $80,071 salary.Mark Diamond, a Florence resident and former board member, questioned if the proposed new salary of $145,000 had been previously included in the budget.
Vice President Shelen said that since his new salary included new duties and the dissolution of a different position that it was within the restrictions of the current budget. Ms. Shelen requested that all further questions of this nature be submitted in writing so they could be answered more fully.
Mr. Diamond was also unclear why the new contract included performance-based incentives, which if met would total $4,363.
"If a new educational facilities manager had been hired," he asked, "would the same performance goals be in place?"
Ms. Shelen responded that he was focusing on the positive aspects of the contract and ignoring the things that Mr. Benedetti would be sacrificing, such as reductions in both his accumulated sick leave payments and his annual carryover vacation days. The revised contract would also require the business administrator to contribute 1.5 percent of his base salary toward his health benefits.
"The staff was strong-armed into salary freezes and paying medical benefits," Florence High School Principal Stephen Falcone said, concluding that "the only person getting a raise" is Mr. Benedetti. He called for a rundown from the board of maintenance expenditures to see where the money for the salary increase is coming from.
The board is expected to vote on approval of the revised contract on Monday, Sept. 27. This date is pending prior endorsement from Dr. Talarico.
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