Bedminster BOE Appoints Interim Superintendent

In an emergency meeting Wednesday, the Bedminster Township Board of Education appointed Ron Bolandi as interim superintendent while Superintendent Carolyn Koos is out on sick leave.

Bolandi will begin working Thursday, and his contract will last unitl March 8, with the option to go longer if necessary. As part of the contract, Bolandi will receive $520 a day.

Koos has been out on sick leave for the past three weeks, but is expected to return, although a time frame is not definite. Board members declined to give specifics on why she is out because of legal reasons.

"We are operating on the assumption that she will return, and we are assuming soon, hopefully in the next week or two," board vice president Jeff Reaves said.

Board members said Bolandi will be spending most of his time focused on the budget before it is introduced March 6, and presented to the county superintendent March 7.

Business administrator Philip Acosta said that that is why they could not consider sharing a superintendent with another district, like Somerset Hills.

"This is going to require an extensive amount of time, and the expectation is the person will spend almost his full time on the budget over the next week-and-a-half," he said. "That's not something any current superintendent at another district could afford."

Acosta spoke with several candidates chosen by the county superintendent, but said that most were unable to work beyond a specific amount of time or had other time constraints that Bolandi did not.

"Sometimes this kind of term is not always agreeable to those looking for an interim position," Acosta said.

Parent Jennifer Davis asked at the meeting about the salary, citing that perhaps it is not something they can afford right now.

"We have such big budget issues in the school," she said. "We are looking at maybe cutting teachers, but we can pay for someone to come in on a temporary basis? I don't know if that's the best solution."

Reaves said he understands the concern, and cited that legal counsel advised the hiring of an interim.

"We are talking about an eight-day contract, and we will obviously have to find another way to offset it," he said. "In light of the budget and the possibility of all contingencies, we need to have a superintendent here."

Acosta said the salary is based on the state's per diem rate for a superintendent in a district similar in size to Bedminster.

Bolandi is a retired superintendent from East Windsor Regional School District, having spent 20 years there as superintendent until 2010. A resident of Readington, he has also served as an interim in Edison and other districts, and has a very strong financial background.

Bolandi said he was a business administrator in a district, and has worked on many budgets in many different districts.

"The important thing is to help this board look at the budget, ascertain what it is, and work to see if my experience can get them over the humps," he said. "Mine is a different lens to look with."

In addition, Bolandi said he has handled teacher contracts in Edison and other locations, successfully negotiating several without laying off any of the staff.

But, Bolandi said, while he can stay as long as he is needed, he is there to lend a hand and try to help Bedminster through this time.

"I am helping the board get through this crisis," he said. "I am not going to come in and try to change the world, my job is to look at the world and try to make it better."

Bolandi said it is most important to him to do what he can to make educational decisions that benefit the children. He said he can look at past budgets in the district, see what the line items are and determine where and if any changes can be made.

As he looks at the budget, Bolandi said he will be looking at whether they should be increasing taxes, going to the cap on the budget or cutting from different areas.

But, Bolandi said, his goal is to do what he can to not make any changes that would affect the students themselves and the classroom experience.

"There are different scenarios, and more of that situation here because I'm not the superintendent," he said. "I am looking from 20 years of experience, and my job is not to affect the classroom."