Chris Sacco

By: centraljersey.com
NEW HANOVER – As a result of the recent suspension of its business administrator, the New Hanover School District has hired someone to fill the position on an interim basis. The contract for the interim position, which began on Sept. 13, is for 16 days of work.
The district’s new interim business administrator is Patrick Collum, a retired superintendent from the Monmouth Regional School District.
According to Superintendent Brian McBride, Mr. Collum will work a flexible schedule and be paid $7,200 for his 16 days of work.
The current business administrator, Deborah Paone, has been serving a paid suspension since Sept. 13, her return pending the findings of the New Jersey Department of Education’s Office of Fiscal Accountability and Compliance.
Mr. McBride said the suspension stemmed from an investigation by the Department of Education on Sept. 6, but he would not comment on the exact nature of the investigation or the specifics of her suspension. The district is expecting a report on these issues sometime in the near future.
At its Sept. 23 meeting, the New Hanover Board of Education reclassified Ms. Paone’s suspension as "paid administrative leave."
There is no set date for Mr. Collum’s 16th and final day as business administrator, but he will be unable to work beyond this initial contract due to conflicts in his schedule.
Superintendent McBride said that if the situation regarding Ms. Paone isn’t resolved by the end of the 16-day contract, the district will be forced to hire another interim business administrator.