By Gene Robbins, Managing Editor
As the school district prepares for classes to start Sept. 3, the school board celebrated nationwide recognition Monday night.
Superintendent Jorden Schiff said that Newsweek, an online magazine, again had named Hillsborough near the top in its annual ranking. Dr. Schiff said Newsweek ranked Hillsborough as 42nd best high school in the United States, 14th best in New Jersey and fourth best in the state among schools without selective admission criteria.
Dr. Schiff said 72 teachers had participated in new-teacher orientation that day. That was most of the new hires, except for those — like one man on his honeymoon — who couldn’t make it for specific reasons.
Dr. Schiff said the district had offered contracts, including coaching, to more than 100 people from among the 2,800 or more applicants — a 96 percent rejection rate, he said.
The superintendent said 198 people had applied for the vice principal’s job at Auten Road Intermediate School. Monday night, the board unanimously selected fifth-grade teacher Scott E. Jensen for the job.
Mr. Jensen has spent his entire nine-year teaching career at Auten Road as a fifth-grade teacher. In addition to teaching, he has served as a district technology turn-key trainer where he showed colleagues how to use and create new technologies in the classroom.
He’ll be paid $85,200 a year in the job, which is for 10 months of the year. Jennifer Battista, also a vice principal at Auten Road, was moved from a 10-month job to a 12-month one at an annual salary of $99,365.
Mr. Jensen graduated magna cum laude from The College of New Jersey where he earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and sociology. He also holds a master’s degree in education from The College of New Jersey in educational leadership.
“Scott’s firsthand knowledge of the students and staff at Auten Road Intermediate School will serve him well in his new position as the school’s vice principal,” Dr. Schiff said.
The board also accepted eight resignations, approved 15 full- or part-time teachers, 12 long-term substitutes and eight transfers or changes in assignment. One of the resignations was school psychologist Michael Lax, who has been an employee since September 2011.
Michael Davis was elevated to supervisor of health and physical education and assistant athletic director, retroactive to Dec. 22. He was a teacher and assistant AD. His new salary is $91,145.
