By Gene Robbins, Managing Editor
After a second school board vote, Interim Assistant Superintendent Andrew Rinko will be paid for six days in December at $575 per day.
On Monday, the board debated again money for Dr. Rinko, a retired Bedminster Schools superintendent who is bridging the two-month gap between Scott Rocco, who resigned to take a job as superintendent in Spotswood, and Guy Whitlock, who will start as assistant superintendent for personnel sometime in February.
On Jan. 14, less than a full majority of the board voted to pay Dr. Rinko for his first days in December.
Board Vice President Judith Haas said Mr. Rinko’s interim job was approved Dec. 17 to be effective Jan. 2, yet the board was being asked to pay for one day before Dr. Rinko was officially hired, and others before the end of the year, while Mr. Rocco was still on board.
Christopher Pulsifer, chairman of the human resources committee, said there “were mistakes in the process how this was lined up,” although he said he would expect some overlap of personnel on both ends of the transition. He said the board needed to “set it right” and pay Dr. Rinko for work performed in December.
”He came in and did the work as requested,” Mr. Pulsifer said.
Superintendent Jorden Schiff said he asked Dr. Rinko to attend a Dec. 14 meeting when a new teacher evaluation model was to be discussed, as well as work with Mr. Rocco before he left.
Ms. Haas said the Jan. 14 vote “should have some meaning.” Three of five members constituting the quorum approved the payment, but the motion needed a majority of the full nine-member board.
The board remedied the problem by retroactively changing Dr. Rinko’s start date from Jan. 2 to Dec. 14. Only Ms. Haas voted against it in an 7-1 tally.
At the meeting, Dr. Rinko presented the violence and vandalism report, which is now required to be publicly reported more than once a year.

