SOUTH COUNTY: Regional school board to gather for first time

Local school boards must sort out terms of those who leave

By John Tredrea, Special Writer
   The new regional school board that will serve Lambertville, Stockton and West Amwell will hold its first meeting at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, in the Commons of South Hunterdon Regional High School.
   The nine members of the board were appointed last week by Dr. Gerald Vernotica, Hunterdon County’s interim executive superintendent of schools.
   All nine members of the regional board are serving on a local school board now or have served on one in the past. Those currently serving on a local board will resign from those positions, as state law requires, the morning of Dec. 20, said Darlene Wene, Dr. Vernotica’s administrative assistant.
   Following their resignations, the boards with vacancies are required to begin the process of replacing them by advertising for candidates. This needs to be done, Dr. Vernotica said, because July 1, 2014 is the earliest date the nine-member regional board of education “can become effective,” he said.
   ”The first task of the new board will be to hire a superintendent of the new regional school district,” Dr. Vernotica said at a town hall meeting at the high school last week.
   Five of the members of the new board are from Lambertville, three from West Amwell and one from Stockton. That apportionment reflects the populations of the towns according to the 2010 U.S. Census, Dr. Vernotica said.
   The five Lambertville members of the board are Dan Seiter (currently a member and president of the South Hunterdon Regional High School board), Derek Roseman (current member of the elementary school board), Laurie Weinstein (a former public school and SHRHS board member), Nicole Claus (former SHRHS board member) and Anne Nicolas (now a member of the elementary school board).Appointed to the regional board from Stockton was James Gallagher, current president of the borough school board.
   The three West Amwell appointees are Celeste Mosby (currently a member of the SHRHS board), Victor Paerg and Peter Gasparro — both members of the current West Amwell elementary school board.
   The regional board members have been appointed for terms of different lengths.
   From Lambertville, Mr. Seiter and Ms. Claus’ appointment runs through 2015. Mr. Roseman’s runs through 2014, Ms. Nicholas through 2016 and Ms. Weinstein’s through 2013.
   From Stockton, Mr. Gallagher’s term runs through 2016.
   From West Amwell, Mr. Paerg’s appointment runs through 2014, Ms. Mosby’s through 2015 and Mr. Gasparro’s through 2016.
   The board will have to negotiate a common employment contract with teachers and other bargaining units.
   Dr. Vernotica said at the town hall meeting, “It’s my understanding that all the teachers involved are meeting in an effort to form a new, single bargaining unit.” He said that if no contractual agreement with the teachers (or any other employee group) is reached by July 1, “things will continue as they are” until agreement is reached.
   Mr. Seiter, who chaired that meeting, said, “The new board will work with the new bargaining units. There’s nothing to suggest that July 1 isn’t an attainable date.”
   He added that the new board would “seek community input before making any major decisions.”
   Under state law, new members of a board of education are required to take New Jersey School Boards Association training on how to be an effective board member.
   ”The training covers such areas as personnel, including contract negotiations, and dealing with school buildings and grounds,” Dr. Vernotica said.