School year brings new leaders to the helm

Maintenance work
complete; neighborhood schools back
By elaine van develde
Staff Writer

JERRY WOLKOWITZ Barbara Pieszcynski, Hazlet Board of Education business administrator and secretary; Dorothy Carcamo, director of curriculum, instruction, and testing; William O. George, assistant superintendent; and Renae LaPrete, schools superintendent, have a power meeting on Monday.

HAZLET — The talk around the district is that things are looking good for the start of the school year, owing to a new administration and the improvement to the facilities.

There are two new administrators and spruced-up schools.

One new administrator is Bill George of Oceanport who will step into the position of assistant superintendent, replacing Bruce Quinn who was recently named Matawan-Aberdeen Schools Superinten-dent.

George, 39, comes to Hazlet from Monmouth Regional High School, Tinton Falls, where he was principal.

JERRY WOLKOWITZ Hazlet’s Beers Street School Principal Marc Natangara stands in the renovated library.

George’s start date is Sept. 3, and Schools Superintendent Renae LaPrete, says the addition to her administrative staff is a welcome one. "Bill, I know, will be a great asset to our district. We’re very fortunate to have him."

Coming from a family of educators, George spent three years as assistant principal of Long Branch Middle School before he worked at Monmouth Regional. Before his administrative days, he was a teacher and coach at Long Branch High School and Red Bank Regional High School in Little Silver.

Chosen from among 44 candidates for the post, LaPrete said George’s beliefs and outstanding sense of commitment stood out.

He is also an adjunct professor at Monmouth University, West Long Branch.

In addition to his work experience, George has a master’s degree from Monmouth University and a doctorate in education from Seton Hall University, West Orange.

He has won many awards for coaching and education, and is affiliated with several associations, including the Tinton Falls Rotary Club, the Region 6 Coaches Association, and the N.J. Sports Interscholastic Athletic Association.

LaPrete also praised the district’s new director of curriculum, instruction and testing, Dorothy Carcamo, who was brought on board in April. Carcamo came from Red Bank where she was the borough’s curriculum supervisor.

"She’s been a tremendous asset," LaPrete said. "Her feet are planted, and she’s extremely knowledgeable. We were fortunate to get her."

In addition to starting the school year with these two top administrator slots filled, LaPrete said students will be greeted in September by a total of 18 new regular and special education teachers — eight in Raritan High School, three in Hazlet Middle School (grades seven and eight), and seven in the elementary schools (grades kindergarten through six).

A new substance awareness coordinator and elementary school music teacher will also be joining the other new staff members.

"We’re also implementing an early literacy reading program for grades one and two," said LaPrete.

In addition to the new staff and programs, the concept of neighborhood schools has returned.

It was something a majority of parents wanted, said LaPrete, and they got it.

Prior to the 2000-01 school year, there were three K-3 schools — Raritan Valley, Lillian Drive and Middle Road; there were two fourth- and fifth-grade schools, Cove Road and Sycamore Drive; two schools for grades 6-8, Union Avenue and Beers Street; and one high school — Raritan.

As a result of the comeback of neighborhood schools, there are now six K-6 schools — Raritan Valley, Cove Road, Lillian Drive, Beers Street, Middle Road and Sycamore; one middle school — Hazlet Middle School (for grades 7 and 8) where the former Union Avenue Middle School was; and Raritan High School.

"Any new project takes time for people to acclimate themselves to," said LaPrete. "Overall, we feel it’s working well." She called attention to the transfer of 92 teachers "to help with the transition of the K-6 neighborhood schools."

While the change is one that was wanted, LaPrete said one of the minor problems to be worked out is the enrollment shift imbalance.

"Because of neighborhood boundaries, some classes are a little large in enrollment," said LaPrete. "A number of parents have understandably complained, and the problem is being rectified."

The Board of Education recently decided to monitor enrollment until Sept. 18. Any class it finds in grades one or two with 28 or more students will be assigned a full-time instructional aid.

"The justification for the enrollment watch and using figures as of Sept. 18 is that there are characteristically so many students in and out the first 10 days or so, that we don’t want the actual study numbers that end up skewed," said LaPrete.

In each of the schools that house kindergarten through sixth grade, one of the lower grade levels has a higher enrollment figure than in the past.

"We’re doing the best we can with the dollars we have," said LaPrete. "The children are not suffering, and the Board of Education has made its commitment."

LaPrete also said the schools are looking good.

"We stayed within the budget and did a number of maintenance projects," she said.

Highlights include new main entrance doors at Raritan High School; replacement of tiles, ceilings, lighting and partitions in bathrooms; new landscaping near entrances; new exhaust fans throughout the district; auditorium improvements; upgrades to fencing, parking lot seals and walkways around buildings; painting in hallways; gymnasium floor refinishing; and soundproofing of a number of classrooms.

In addition, handicapped entrance ramps will be constructed and new underground drains to correct drainage problems will be installed.

Larger-scale summer projects included a new media center expansion at Middle Road School and a new library at the Beers Street school, which is the result of a conversion from a shop classroom to a state-of-the-art library.

"It’s going to be a good year," said LaPrete. "We have a great staff and administration, and the schools look great."