Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • December 22, 2010 FLOW Area School board cancels superintendent’s contract hearing by Frank J. McMahon The Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education has cancelled the Dec. 13 public hearing on renegotiating, amending, or otherwise altering the terms of Superintendent Dr. Lauren Schoen’s contract. At last week’s meeting, School Board President Wayne Peterson explained that the Bergen County Superintendent of Schools’ approval was required for the trustees to proceed with the hearing. The county official did not grant approval, so the board could not hold the hearing, even though it had been properly advertised. Peterson said the board wanted the opportunity to discuss changes to the superintendent’s contract in order to provide stability in the years ahead, but the trustees were informed by the board’s attorney that, due to recent developments at the New Jersey Department of Education, the board could not hold such a hearing at this time. 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. Schoen’s current contract extends to July 1, 2013. She receives an annual salary of $197,500. The board had planned to discuss the potential terms of extending her contract into 2015. The pay that 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, which is due to take effect Feb. 7, the maximum base salary a district could pay a superintendent would depend on the size of the district, and the top salary a superintendent of a district with up to 10,000 students could be paid would be $175,000. The superintendent’s compensation, however, could be restructured to provide the opportunity for non-pensionable, individual year merit stipends if they achieve significant, state-defined improvements in student learning from the year before. According to data provided by the NJDOE, 366 superintendents are currently being paid more than the new regulations would permit. If their salaries are brought down to the maximum levels proposed, the state claims it would save $9.8 million a year. Cherylin Roeser, vice president of the Ramapo Indian Hills Education Association, which is currently negotiating a new contract with the school board for its 300 members, voiced an objection to the board’s effort to extend the superintendent’s contract. “At a time when we are working without a new contract and trying to negotiate a fair and equitable settlement for our members, the board of education is trying to amend an existing contract, an unexpired contract,” Roeser told the board. “At a time when the board of education is asking and, indeed, expecting the 300 hard working teachers, secretaries, administrative assistants, teacher aides, custodians, tech aides, and security personnel to make major concessions in salaries and benefits to keep within and under the two percent cap imposed by the governor and the legislature, the board of education is trying to orchestrate a deal with management. That’s disappointing and demoralizing. Why are you not willing to do the same for your labor force?” Roeser emphasized that she was not criticizing the current superintendent, but expressing frustration. “On the one hand, you are telling us that you are constrained by the governor’s order to keep budgets within the two percent cap,” she continued, “but, on the other hand, you are trying to find a way around a cap on the superintendent’s salary. Quite frankly, the RIHEA expects you to do the same for us, extend and enhance our contract through 2015 and protect our salaries and benefits through 2015.” Peterson responded that the board appreciates employees at all levels and they are all allies in educating the students. He said he hopes these matters can be resolved soon. The RIHEA and the school board are currently at an impasse in their contract negotiations. Ramapo High School’s Project Graduation will hold a Military Bridge Night on Wednesday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. The event will be held at the school, 331 George Street in Franklin Lakes. Tickets are $10. Purchasers may choose to become Super Senior Supporters, and pay $15 for each ticket. Advanced registration is preferred, but tickets will be sold at the door. Military bridge is an easy card game. No prior knowledge of the game is necessary to play. Gather a group Project Graduation sets Military Bridge Night of friends, or come alone. The event will also include refreshments and baskets of prizes. Proceeds will support Project Graduation, an alcohol and drug free post-graduation celebration for the Ramapo’s senior class. Event invitations are available at rih.org. For more details, or for reservations, contact Margaret Scheinert at (201) 847-8750 or boysfour@mac. com, or Lauri Manobianco at (201) 891-4959 or tmano@optonline.net.