Berkeley School Board Drops Acting Special Services Director Title In Roselli's Latest Contract

by Patricia A. Miller

The Berkeley Township school district will pay at least an extra $646,000 over the next five years with the recent hiring of a new acting special services director, Board Member James Fulcomer said.

The Board of Education voted 7-1 at the meeting to hire Debra Fierra as the interim director of the special services team at a salary of $107,000. If Fierra continues on in the position for the next five years, without any salary increases, her five-year pay would total $646,032, he said.

Fulcomer was the only board member to vote against Fierra’s contract and the only one who voted against a new contract for Superintendent James Roselli earlier this year.

Roselli - who was hired as superintendent in 2012 after a two-year controversial search - had agreed to perform the duties of acting director of special services at no additional charge, according to his first contract.

But board members ripped up his original contract not even halfway through the five-year period and replaced it with a new one this summer.His current salary is $155,000, the state cap for superintendents in K-6 districts. The acting director of special services position was removed from his new contract.

“If we kept the original superintendent’s contract provisions, with the superintendent continuing to serve as Acting Director of Special Services, we could save at least $650,000 over five years,” Fulcomer said.”

The Board of Education, and the Ocean County Superintendent of Schools approved a Roselil’s new contract this summer, which calls for a $155,000 base salary - the state cap for students in K-6 districts - and $23,500 in merit increases. That’s not including the cost of benefits.

That brings his total pay to $178,250, more than Gov. Chris Christie makes, if Roselli takes all the merit increases.

Roselli said at the August board meeting he had not taken any merit increases. But that could change after the November school board elections, Fulcomer said.

The Board of Education should write a new contract and remove the merit increases provisions permanently, he said.

“Then you would know he (Roselli) is sincere in what he is saying,” Fulcomer said.

Fierra’s salary costs do not include the cost of health, dental and vision insurance. The first year those benefits will cost the district $20,269. The salary also does not include pension payments, unemployment insurance.

Residents Charles Krunkleton and Christine Dwight both questioned the need for hiring Fierra during the public portion of the meeting.

Dwight asked if the Berkeley school board had contacted the Central Regional school district about sharing a Special Services director.

Roselli replied that the Special Services director at Central did not have team experience, one of the job requirements.

But Fulcomer said the position description was tailored for Berkeley school district members.

“He (Roselli) does not want Central to take over any of this,” Fulcomer said.

Both Roselli and Board Attorney John C. Sahradnik said it was necessary to have a full-time person in the position to avoid any Special Services position to avoid any potential litigation, according to board minutes.

Fulcomer ran with Board President Noriko Kowalewski and board member Salvatore Ferlise on a platform of shared services and and consolidation. Kowalewski and Ferlise voted in favor of Roselli’s new contract.

There is no need for two school districts in Berkeley Township, Fulcomer said.

“He is holding a position that is a totally unnecessary position,” he said.

Central Regional Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides had submitted an application during the superintendent search several years ago and offered to do the Berkeley superintendent duties free of charge.

But the board never interviewed him.