As the business administrator of the Upper Freehold Regional School District prepares to retire at the end of the 2018-19 school year, a new business administrator has been hired by the Board of Education.
The retirement of Margaret Hom, the district’s business administrator since 2015, was announced during a recent meeting. Board members voted to accept Hom’s letter of retirement, effective June 30.
“On behalf of the entire board, we would like to thank Mrs. Hom for the tireless dedication given to the students and staff of Upper Freehold and wish her the best in this exciting new chapter of her life,” district administrators said. “Her presence in this district will be missed.”
According to board President Patricia Hogan, Hom intended to retire in 2018, but remained with Upper Freehold Regional for an additional year to support Superintendent of Schools Mark Guterl during his first year as superintendent. Guterl was named superintendent in 2018 following the retirement of Richard Fitzpatrick.
“The Upper Freehold Regional School District is so grateful for the work Peg has done for our district and our kids,” Guterl said. “Her expertise and ethics were essential to the success of our district since 2015. On a personal note, she has been invaluable for this superintendent navigating his way through my first full year. She will be missed.”
On May 15, board members appointed Patrick Pisano as the district’s new business administrator. His appointment will become effective July 16 and run through June 30, 2020, after which he may be reappointed. Pisano will receive a prorated salary of $137,500, according to district administrators.
Pisano is currently the business administrator of the Chesterfield Township K-6 School District.
And, board members appointed Roseann Lozinski to serve as the interim business administrator from May 16 through July 31. She will be paid a per diem rate of $600 with a maximum salary of $7,200.
Hom’s retirement “is certainly a huge loss for our district, but we are thrilled for her,” Hogan said. “She actually retired a year later than she intended to make sure our new superintendent was completely supported in his first year.
“In her short time with us, Peg was responsible for implementing a number of cost-effective security measures in staffing and building improvements that keep our staff and students safe.
“She worked us through the successful passage of a district referendum to pay for much needed major construction and maintenance items,” Hogan continued. “Balanced budgets, no significant staffing reductions although our deficits sometimes hovered at $3 million to start, successful negotiations with our associations, service providers and administrators, and a tremendous partnership with the board are only a few things we are grateful for in Peg’s years of service. She will be greatly missed.
“We have been extremely fortunate to find a talented and experienced business administrator to step into the role. Patrick Pisano comes to us from Chesterfield Township, where he is currently serving as business administrator. Patrick brings a wealth of talent, including specific experience with referendums, major construction projects and capital improvements,” Hogan said.
“Just as we are excited for Peg in her retirement, we are looking forward to working with Patrick,” Guterl said. “After numerous interviews and conversations, we believe he is the perfect fit for this position. He has both and education and financial background, which allows him to see things from both perspectives. We are so excited to welcome Patrick and his family to our Upper Freehold Regional School District Redbird family.”