Quinn switches hats in
Hazlet school district
By ELAINE VAN DEVELDE
Staff Writer

HAZLET — There’s been a lot of mutual arm twisting going on between colleagues in the township’s school district.

It wasn’t that long ago that Superintendent Renae LaPrete joked that her arm was twisted by the school Business Administrator Bruce Quinn to take what is now her job. Quinn is now saying the "joke" is on LaPrete because she did an equal amount of arm twisting to convince him to take the position of assistant superintendent when she left the post. Just as the twisting of Quinn’s arm indirectly veered LaPrete to superintendent from assistant superintendent, LaPrete’s twisting of Quinn’s arm contributed largely to his acceptance of the appointment to assistant superintendent.

It all became quietly official about two weeks ago, and LaPrete couldn’t be happier that "a loyal, knowledgeable team player has accepted the position."

"I figured why reinvent the wheel when I had someone right in the district who was very competent and qualified," she said. "We work extremely well together, and that’s key. Besides, I owed him. Bruce [Quinn] definitely did his share of arm twisting to convince me to take the superintendent’s position. It was my turn, and I’m glad I reciprocated."

As far as Quinn is concerned, it was fair play. "Originally, I turned down the prospect, but, after all, how could I refuse Renae after what I did to her?" he added.

LaPrete said her push for Quinn to be assistant superintendent was based on several factors besides loyalty and team spirit. "He’s visible, personable, bright, has great vision for the district’s program, and has a business acumen that is invaluable. His familiarity with the district is also of tremendous value," she said.

Quinn, a 51-year-old Matawan resident, came to the Hazlet school district in 1998 with a background in administration that dates back about 20 years. In his capacity as business administrator for the township’s schools, he was also secretary to the Board of Education; he will continue in that role in tandem with that of assistant superintendent.

Before Hazlet, Quinn spent five years in the Red Bank school district as assistant superintendent for business and board secretary, in 1993. When Red Bank was in the process of hiring a superintendent during 1995, Quinn spent nearly a full year as its chief schools’ administrator/acting superintendent.

Prior to that, he worked for the state Department of Education as the Monmouth County school business administrator, from 1990 to 1993. During that time, he did a six-month stint as county superintendent of schools for Hunterdon County. His career actually started in Hunterdon in the 1970s.

"I did everything they ever asked me to do, from working as a teacher’s aide to [being a] teacher to coaching, to director of scheduling and computer services,’ he said.

Between his work for the state and his job in Hunterdon, Quinn spent more than 10 years, from 1979 to 1990, in the Matawan-Aberdeen regional school district. He began as the district’s budget director for educational systems and finished as its assistant superintendent for business and personnel.

Quinn is current president the N.J. Association of School Business Officials and past president of the Monmouth County Association of School Business officials.

In his community, Quinn is an active member of St. Clement’s Church, as well as a former member of the Matawan First Aid Squad. Now, he concedes, most of his time is spent in the Hazlet schools. "I like to keep a visible, approachable presence for the students, parents and staff, and spend quite a bit of time going from school to school," he said.

As for the future, Quinn just looks "forward to working with Renae [LaPrete] and continuing to improve the schools’ math and reading programs. This year, also, we will work extensively on the development and explanation of the schools’ budget and our goals. We really need to not only continue to rally for a better state aid formula, but also get an explanation out there to the citizens of the entire budget process," he said.