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After the appointment of a new administrator didn’t garner enough votes to pass at the Jan. 22 board of education [BOE] meeting, state-appointed fiscal monitor Lester Richens is weighing the possibility of overriding the board’s decision.

The board did have enough votes to create the new position — assistant director of test, assessment and data communication — and to approve its job description. But they fell short when it came to naming current assistant director of assessment and testing Colleen White to the new post.

In May 2012, John Napolitani brought to light that the Asbury Park Education Association teachers’ union had voted no-confidence, 64-2, against White, in hopes that her contract would not be renewed. Napolitani is the head of the union.

Board members did not give reasons for their vote against naming White to the position, as discussing personnel in public is against board rules.

Superintendent Denise Lowe was recommending White for the new position to replace Bob Ragan, whose resignation from the post of data systems and communication manager was effective Jan. 3. Ragan’s post has effectively been removed, and White would have absorbed the responsibilities of that job without receiving a pay raise.

White’s proposed salary in the new position was $114,015, which Lowe says is equal to her current salary as assistant director of assessment and testing.

When Lowe advertised for the position, two candidates applied, she said. One internal candidate pulled out and decided not to proceed, and Lowe recommended White for the consolidated position. In that case, “there was no need to post it again,” she said.

In consolidating the position with another, “we took some of the duties away,” Lowe said. “It’s just an additional job that’s added on [to White’s current duties] at the same salary.” Many districts are “combining data, testing and assessment,” she added.

White “was willing to take the position at the current salary of what she was making anyway,” Lowe said.

“Simply put, the district has eliminated Mr. Ragan’s position,” Richens said. “We’ve given those responsibilities to this candidate. We’ve broadened the scope of her work with no increase in her salary.”

Before the board discussion and vote, Napolitani spoke during public comment about the new job.

The opening of Ragan’s data and communications systems manager job was posted on Dec. 5, Napolitani said, at a much lower salary than the proposed $114,015.

“It’s suddenly filled … by a person who had a 95-percent vote of no confidence against them last year,” Asbury Park Education Association President John Napolitani said. “I find it amazing that it hasn’t been posted yet and the whole job has been rewritten and not posted or filed tonight.”

Napolitani suggested the new job was not advertised correctly, “so other people couldn’t apply for it within the district. There’s a possibility that some people didn’t apply for it based upon the fact that it was a job that paid less than what a teacher gets. Now it’s getting paid $40,000 more than the last person that was in it.”

The creation of the job and its new job description both passed, but the appointment of White to the position did not. The appointment required four yes votes, but only received three, from board members Gregory Brewington, Christian Hall and Nicole Harris. Gregory Hopson, Qzeena Taylor and Reverend Geneva Smallwood abstained. Angela Ahbez-Ahnderson voted no.

State fiscal monitor Lester Richens notified the board that he may override them on the failure to appoint White to the position.

“I will be taking your action under advisement for item 4a [the appointment of White] and I will notify you of my decision,” he said.

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[Pictured above, from left: Superintendent Denise Lowe, board attorney Michael Gross, board president Angela Ahbez-Anderson, board vice president Rev. Geneva Smallwood, and board member Gregory Hopson.]

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