Brick Hires Firm on $11K Contract to Search for Next Schools Super

Brick Township Board of Education/Schools (Photo: Daniel Nee)

With the exit of Superintendent Gerard Dalton looming Aug. 24, the Brick Township school board will – once again – hire an outside organization to assist in its search for a new schools chief.

Dalton resigned from his position after a Board of Education meeting last month. His contract calls for a 90-day notice period, meaning he is eligible to leave Aug. 24. His resignation was approved by the board at its meeting last week. No interim superintendent has been announced, though speculation has gone rampant, suggesting longtime Brick administrator (and former interim superintendent) Dennis Filippone could make a return. Filippone retired in late February and, under state law, would need to wait six months before returning in an interim position.

Meanwhile, the board awarded a contract to Educational Services Commission of New Jersey, the same organization that helped select Dalton, to organize a search for his replacement. The contract is worth $11,500. Board President Stephanie Wohlrab said two organizations – the other being the New Jersey School Boards Association – submitted bids.

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“We don’t have a great success rate in this category,” resident Vic Fanelli said at last Thursday’s school board meeting.

The Brick district has had 10 superintendents and interim superintendents over the past 11 years.

“In my opinion, this has set the district back another three years,” he continued, suggesting organizational problems within the district. “Personally, I think we went out and found a superintendent who was going to do great things, you gave him a contract – a contract I thought was possibly too good – and then we had a superintendent and a principal bail on us.”

Wohlrab said the Educational Services Commission of New Jersey will help the board develop an application review candidates.

“They come in, and they help us put the application together that will go out,” Wohlrab said. “They help us with the community input and they work with us throughout our search.”