PLUMSTED: District to appoint interim high school principal

by James McEvoy, Managing Editor
   PLUMSTED — The Board of Education is likely to appoint an interim principal of New Egypt High School at the April 10 meeting.
   Tom Farrell, the outgoing principal, will serve until April 15, according to district officials.
   Dr. Karen Jones, superintendent of Plumsted Township schools, updated the board members and public during the March 21 meeting regarding the search to fill principal vacancies at the high school and New Egypt Primary School.
   ”There’s been a lot of discussion of the hiring of our district principals. We currently have two search processes going on. Right now we’re in the midst of the primary school search, we’re in the second phase of that.”
   A selection committee, comprised of volunteers, staff, parents and administrators was formed for the primary school search.
   Similarly, such a committee will be created to address the high school vacancy, Dr. Jones said.”(It’s) basically, a large intimidating group, unfortunately for the candidates that are coming in, but its representative of the staff in various areas, parents, administrators,” she said.
   Currently, the primary school search has resulted in three candidates who will be further interviewed by directors, Dr. Jones and Sean Gately, school business administrator.
   Eventually, a candidate would be selected by the board’s personnel committee and offered for approval by the full board.
   Dr. Jones said the high school search would follow a similar path.
   Volunteers are currently being sought for the high school search committee.
   Following the meeting, Dr. Jones said an interim principal would not be needed at the primary school since Mrs. Eileen Sennett, who is retiring, will be serving until the end of the school year.
   Resident Aaron Heller, pointing to his experience with the township fire department, advised the board to look carefully at any current administrators who may seek the positions.
   ”I’ve found through my career that we seem to have a lot better turnout with our own personnel when it comes from within. We have better morale when it comes from within,” Mr. Heller said. “When we start looking outside to bring people in I think that our personnel start to lose faith in the system to a degree. They want to work their way up a ladder and they know the system already.
   ”By promoting within the fire department and not pulling from outside we saved ourselves a lot of money,” he added.
   According to the district website, Mr. Farrell was named principal of the high school in 2008 where he previously served as a business education teacher for three years.
   He also served as an assistant principal of New Egypt Middle School.
   During the 2006-07 school year, Mr. Farrell served as director of technology and communications for the district and was head coach for the varsity football team for seven years.
   Mr. Farrell has been named superintendent of the West Long Branch and Shore Regional School Districts, Dr. Jones said.
   Mrs. Sennett, an educator and administrator with over 30 years of experience, has served as principal for two years, according to Dr. Jones.
   ”Mrs. Sennett was a retired administrator that was brought in two years ago. We had difficulty finding the right candidate at that time,” Dr. Jones said. “She is leaving to return to retirement.”
   According to the district’s Web site, Mrs. Sennett previously held building and district-level administrative positions in Robbinsville and Howell in addition to serving as an adjunct profession at Georgian Court University.