Hoboken Board of Education Down to Two Candidates for Permanent Superintendent

The search for a permanent school superintendent in Hoboken seems to be coming to an end.

The Board of Education has narrowed the list of candidates down from 32 to two, board members announced during last night's BOE meeting. 

The candidates—one man and one woman whose identities have not yet been revealed—will be introduced during a public forum in the Hoboken High School auditorium on Tuesday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. 

"They're both exceptionally qualified," said the Board's Finance Chair, Theresa Minutillo. Neither of the candidates is a Hoboken local, she said.

Both candidates have many years of experience in public education, Minutillo said also. 

Peter E. Carter Jr., the current interim superintendent, was appointed in July 2009 after his predecessor Jack Raslowsky resigned. 

One parent who was present at Tuesday's meeting questioned about how the board made its decision. "I want to know: how did you do the picking?" former mayoral candidate and public school parent Patricia Waiters asked the Board. "These people are being shoved down our throats."

Waiters delivered a passionate statement, promising the Board that she would be involved and checking on the identity of the new superintendent. 

"We should have some input," said Waiters, whose daughter is in the Hoboken public school system. 

Board members defended themselves against Waiters' words by explaining that the entire process was done according to the New Jersey School Boards Association's guidelines. 

"When the resume packets came, we reviewed them all and chose candidates that we wanted to interview," said Minutillo. Those interviews are done behind closed doors, she explained. 

Besides filling the superintendent position, the Board of Education will also have to start looking for a new principal for Hoboken High School. Current principal Lorraine Cella announced her resignation last week.

Waiters promised that she would be involved in this process. 

"Let's get our children back on track," Waiters said. "We need somebody to get this job done."