Future Uncertain For Assistant Principals In Bernards Township As Budget Passed

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — The 11 Assistant Principal positions will remain in Bernards Township for now as the Board of Education finalized its budget for the 2023-24 school year. However, the long-term status of those positions remains uncertain.

The $114,886,211 budget with a 0 percent tax increase for residents was passed on Monday night during the BOE meeting with the exception of Vice President Nimish Amin and Csilla Csipak voting against it.

The budget did include funding for all of the 11 assistant principal positions. However, one of the open positions at William Annin Middle School will be merged with the Middle School Athletic Director position to save some money.

Superintendent Nick Markarian noted the merge would create "a significant savings probably of $150,000 to be responsive to the board's request on how we can save some money."

Amin asked Markarian if the Board was "locked in" to keeping the positions an alluded to possibly revisiting the number of teachers or admin positions later in the year.

Board member Robin McKeon asked that the Board be "straightforward" about its intentions after the budget.

"When I hear no cuts to programs and services that means we are not going to take something out of the budget like assistant principals which are in the budget. Or we are not going to make a change and say, 'Oh we don't need as many teachers and increase class sizes' because to me that is changing programs and services," said McKeon.

"I'm having a problem with you suggesting we are going to make different choices mid-year than what we are saying we are doing tonight," continued McKeon.

Amin claimed McKeon was being "very disingenuous" by attaching personnel to programs and services.

"You have the number of personnel that's needed to do the work of educating our students and it depends on enrollment. To say programs and services equals personnel - I've looked it up in the dictionary. I've never seen personnel next to programs and services," said Amin.

Board President Keith Molinari said he agreed with Markarian's assessment to fill the open Assistant Principal position for the year.

"Next year when we see where enrollment is and where our data is then we will take another look. And going forward there is no guarantee that we will have this administrative structure," said Molinari.

During public comment, Tom Thorp - President of the Bernards Township Administration Association and Assistant Principal in the district - asked that his group of administrators be part of future talks.

"I really hope you will consider bringing us to that forum and... consider having conversations with some of us so we can shed some light into our profession," said Thorp.

Resident Joan Bannon questioned the Board on the reasons behind possibly removing the Assistant Principals in the future.

"I haven’t heard any articulated reason from those opposed to this administrative position aside from declining enrollment… if you are seriously considering maintaining teachers then give them the support of administrators who daily attend to student issues so teachers can teach our kids," said Bannon.

Resident John Pettit had a counterargument and said he appreciated the "fiscal conservative approach" of the Board and the "cost-benefit analysis of each dollar spent."

"At the end of the day it's the taxpayers who are paying for everything," said Pettit.

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