Schools

Karen Hudock Named Acting Ridge High School Principal

The Bernards Township School District is still accepting applications through Jan. 17 before they appoint a permanent high school principal.

Karen Gray, Suzanne Schafer Skalski​, and Lauren Beckman​ were sworn into office during the reorganization meeting on Monday.
Karen Gray, Suzanne Schafer Skalski​, and Lauren Beckman​ were sworn into office during the reorganization meeting on Monday. (Bernards Township BOE video)

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — William Annin Middle School Principal Karen Hudok was appointed as acting principal for Ridge High School on Monday during the Bernards Township Board of Education reorganization meeting.

Hudok is replacing Drew Krause who is resigning at the end of January. He had served as principal since July 2017. She will receive a $9,500 stipend on top of her annual salary of $172,975 for serving as acting principal, according to tapinto.net.

Some parents voiced their dismay and concern over Hudok's appointment noting how it will disrupt things at the middle school and asking if this meant she was guaranteed the job as RHS principal at the end of the year.

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"I am confident Karen Hudok will do a good job," Superintendent Nick Markarian. "That being said, under no circumstances does someone doing an acting or interim role mean that they are a front runner for a permanent position."

Markarian said the district has already received a "pretty good number" of applications for the RHS principal position and will continue to accept applications through Jan. 17. For more information on the position or to apply click here.

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He expects the interview process to continue through the winter with a candidate selected by the spring.

"William Annin needs to have a principle named as well so it's a little bit of snowball effect," Markarian said.

A job posting to find someone to take on the principal title at William Annin will be posted online shortly.

Additionally at the meeting, board members incumbent Karen Gray, incumbent Suzanne Schafer Skalski, and Lauren Beckman were sworn into office. They edged out Stephanus "Iwan" Juwana and Ruchika S. Hira in the November election.

Gray was elected president and Robin McKeon was elected vice president of the board.

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