Terence Wall Chosen As Holmdel Board of Education President

HOLMDEL, NJ — At the Holmdel Board of Education reorganization, the focus was on the district's students as much as on the new board members sworn into office.

In unanimous votes by the seven board members present at the meeting, Terence Wall was chosen Holmdel Board of Education president, Christian DiMare vice president.

And former Board President Peter Reddy, who successfully ran for re-election in November, was sworn into another three-year term in office, as were newly elected board candidates Anthony Libecci and Alison LoPresti.

The others who make up the nine-member board include John Buckley and Jeffrey Mann, and Surekha Collur and Kimberly Tuccillo. Collur and Tuccillo were not present at the Jan. 3 meeting.

This is Wall's first time as president of the board, as he enters his seventh year as a board member. He was vice president this past year.

Wall is a lifelong resident of the township - and a graduate of its schools, he said. He also served three terms on the Township Committee and for nearly a decade on the Holmdel First Aid Squad.

After Wall thanked his family, he turned his attention to the students, saying that he feels "all the students are gifted and talented." He said some may be gifted in their studies, others in their hobbies or talents - and there are others whose gifts haven't emerged yet.

And the board's role, he said, is to provide an environment in which all students - no matter what their gifts or talents - can succeed. You can see a video of the full meeting here.

DiMare recounted some initiatives by the board that he said it can build on in the coming year.

For example, a format change to a public Committee of the Whole meeting each month as well as the regular meeting provides promised "transparency" for residents to see how decisions are reached.

He also cited action by the board to phase in a later start time for the high school and to be more inclusive of all students with school holidays for Diwali and Eid. Administrative measures to control cell phone use were another plus, DiMare said.

He also cited the creation of a five-year strategic plan, and plans to review all policies in the district, after Policy 5756 regarding parental notification of a student's gender identify was rescinded by the board. He also said that the district discontinued use of a "radical" health education vendor.

Reddy, in his comments, said that as the district faces more budget challenges, he hoped this year would be one of discussions with the Township Committee regarding the sharing of PILOT - payment in lieu of taxes - revenue, such as from Bell Works. Reddy is beginning his 10th year on the board.

Jan. 24 is the first Committee of the Whole meeting, at 6 p.m. Jan. 31 is the regular business meeting at 6 p.m., both at Holmdel High School.