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MONROE: Board starts super search

By Jenine Clancy, Special Writer
MONROE — The Board of Education approved an agreement Wednesday night to use the New Jersey School Boards Association in its search for a new schools superintendent, at a rate of $12,000.
At the meeting, Board President Kathy Kolupanowich said the board will be working closely with NJ School Boards Field Representative Gwen Thornton to help find the next chief school administrator.
"Gwen is excited to be coming to Monroe to be helping with this process," Ms. Kolupanowich said.
Ms. Kolupanowich also said that due to personal conflicts, Ms. Thrornton will not be able to meet with the board until after the Oct. 15 meeting.
The board president presented a tentative timeline for the search and said that by the end of October the board will present an online survey to the community, getting their input on a successor.
Around November and December the board will begin advertising in local media outlets for a new superintendent and start to accept applications.
The board will then go through those applications to see who they would interview.
Around January and February, the board will conduct interviews, though Ms. Kolupanowich said the board hasn’t decided is those interviews will include the public.
Ms. Kolupanowich added that they hope to have an appointment by March, and that person will need to give their district 60 days notice.
The superintendent then will likely start in June or July of 2015.
In regards to a new assistant superintendent search, Interim Superintendent Dennis Ventrello said himself, along with 19 others on a panel had interviewed six candidates on Monday, Sept 8 and Tuesday, Sept. 9.
The 20-person panel included Mr. Ventrello, parents, teachers, supervisors, administrators and office personnel.
The six finalists were narrowed down from around 30 applicants.
Mr. Ventrello ultimately will be making the recommendation.
A final decision will be presented at the next board meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
Both former Superintendent Kenneth Hamilton and Assistant Superintendent Jeff Gorman left this summer to work in the Mount Vernon district in New York.
Salary caps were both factors for their resignations.
The salary caps, adopted by the Department of Education in 2011, range from $125,000 for districts with 250 or fewer students to $175,000 for districts with 6,501 to 10,000 students.
According to Mr. Gorman, he was making a salary of $$158,570 for the 2013-2014 school year. In his new district he said will be making $$175,000 a year, under a three-year contract.
Mr. Hamilton said he was making a salary of $196,000 for the 2013-2014 school year. In his new district he said will be making $250,000 a year.