December 1, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 5 FLOW Area Trustees to review superintendent’s contract by Frank J. McMahon The Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education has scheduled a Dec. 13 public hearing for the purpose of renegotiating, amending, or otherwise altering the terms of the employment contract of Superintendent Dr. Lauren Schoen. Schoen was hired by the regional high school district in May 2009 by a unanimous vote. She began to work in the district on July 20, 2009, replacing interim superintendent August C. DePreker, who was appointment in November 2008 to replace former Superintendent Paul Saxton. Schoen’s contract extended to July 1, 2013 and she received an annual pro-rated salary of $197,500 for the 2009-10 school year in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract. In a public notice published on Nov. 11, the school board explained that it will discuss the terms of the contract through June 2015 at the public hearing. The public is invited to submit public comments regarding the topic. The board emphasized that, according to the state’s Open Public Meetings Act, it will not publicly discuss personnel matters or respond to comments made by members of the public although the board will give all comments the appropriate consideration. The board also pointed out that the superintendent retains the right of privacy according to state law, and the board will not be liable for comments made by members of the public. The pay superintendents receive has been a controversial issue since July when Governor Chris Christie announced a plan to cap their salaries. Under the governor’s plan, the maximum base salary a district could pay a superintendent would rise with the size of the school district. The top salary for the superintendent of a K-8 district with fewer than 250 students would be $120,000. From there, salary maximums would gradually step up with the size of the district to the point that the superintendent of a district with up to 10,000 students could be paid a maximum of $175,000. A superintendent in one of New Jersey’s 16 districts with more than 10,000 students could earn a higher base salary. In addition, the superintendent’s compensation would be restructured to provide the opportunity for non-pension- able, individual year merit stipends if they achieve significant, state-defined improvements in student learning from the year before. Regulations governing the superintendents’ pay caps are scheduled to take effect on Feb. 7, 2011. Rochelle Hendricks, the acting commissioner of education, has instructed county superintendents to deny any effort to extend contracts in order to skirt the salary cap regulations. According to data provided by the New Jersey Department of Education, 366 school district superintendents are currently being paid more than the new regulations would permit. If their salaries are brought down to the maximum levels proposed, officials say the state would save $9.8 million a year. Schoen attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, but decided to pursue a career in education. After receiving an honorable discharge from the academy, Schoen earned an undergraduate degree in education from William Paterson University. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education and political science. 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