Brick Schools: Superintendent Search Looms Large In 2018

BRICK, NJ —When the Brick Township Board of Education reorganizes, it will be faced with the task of choosing a new superintendent for the school district, with the hope of bringing some much-needed stability to the position.

The hiring of a permanent superintendent is only part of the equation in the district, however; the lingering legal issues involving suspended Superintendent Walter Uszenski will continue to be background noise as the district works to move forward.

There have been some positive highlights for the Brick schools this year as well, starting with the selection of Brick Memorial chemistry teacher Maria DeBruin as a Milken Educator, one of 44 in the country.

Take a look back at that honor and other headlines from 2017 for the schools:

Brick Memorial Teacher Receives National Milken Educator Award
Maria DeBruin thought she was just joining the rest of the Brick Memorial staff and student body for a presentation on college and career readiness by state Education Commissioner Kimberly Harrington on Nov. 2, but in reality she was the reason for the gathering. The Advanced Placement and honors chemistry teacher was named a Milken Educator, one of 44 in the country.

The district also honored retiring hockey coach Bob Auriemma and Ron Gerlufsen, who coached boys basketball and tennis at Brick Memorial before closing out his career as the principal at Warren Wolf Elementary School.

Retiring Principal Gerlufsen Honored For Service To Brick Schools
Ron Gerlufsen, who spent 17 years in the Brick schools, also taught and coached in the Manasquan School District.

Legendary Brick Hockey Coach Auriemma Honored By School Board (Video)
Before Bob Auriemma came to Brick Township High School 50 years ago, ice hockey was an anomaly at the Jersey Shore. In the decades since, however, the sport has grown exponentially and is as much a part of the culture as the sand on the beach and fall high school football. Auriemma stepped down in August, leaving a legacy not simply summed up by his more than 700 victories, but also in the hundreds of lives he has touched.

Brick's Herbertsville School Wins Sustainable Jersey Grant
The district continues to see positive results from its Sustainable Jersey efforts. The Garden of Hope is just one of its growing efforts to incorporate green efforts into education programs.

Read also: New Model Classroom Offers Life Skills For Brick Special Education Students
Brick Student Chosen For Competitive STEM Camp
Brick Memorial Key Club Earns 2 International Awards
Brick Teacher Honored By 10th District Assemblymen, Senator

The district faced some difficult moments in 2017, including a fight at the intra-district football game between Brick Township and Brick Memorial at the beginning of the school year. It led to increased discussion about ways to bring the township together and decrease the vitrol that has permeated the rivalry between the schools in recent years. But it also led to a tightening of rules surrounding games after 10 students were punished following the fight amid allegations of intoxication.

The district also faced the uncertainty created by a last-minute cut in aid from the state. The deal between Sen. Steve Sweeney and Gov. Christie initially was expected to cost the district nearly $2.2 million, but in the end cost $720,000, money that was later returned to the district following an appeal. The $2.2 million was, under the budget, on the chopping block for 2018. It will remain an issue that could throw a massive wrench into the district's efforts to fix and update facilities, some of which have needed attention for decades. Progress has been made, including work to reconfigure and address safety issues at the Veterans Elementary and Middle Schools' parking area, but much remains.

The superintendent search will take center stage in the coming weeks. The board is handling the search in-house, which given the intense squabbling that has gone on since the arrest of Uszenski in May 2015, it's unlikely this hiring will occur without criticism.

The new superintendent will be the 10th person to serve in the position since 2000:

• Philip Nicastro served from 2000-2002;
• Thomas L. Seidenberger was hired and left in 2007;
• Melindo Persi was named as interim superintendent then fired less than a year later, setting off a lawsuit;
• Mary Ann Ceres then was appointed as interim, and served until the start of the 2009 school year;
• Walter Hrycenko, promoted in 2009, reverted to an administrative role when his contract as superintendent was not renewed;
• Uszenski, hired in 2012; he has been suspended since May 2015;
• Richard Caldes, named interim in May 2015; reverted to principal at Brick Memorial High School in January 2016;
• Thomas Gialanella, the retired superintendent of the Jackson Township School District, brought in as interim in January 2016;
• Dennis Filippone, named acting superintendent as of July 1, 2017, to bridge the gap between the end of Gialanella's two-year maximum term and the end of Uszenski's contract. Filippone, who has spent his 40-year career in the Brick school district, has said he does not want the position permanently.

Read also: Judge Throws Out Charges Against Brick Superintendent: Report
Brick Residents Urge School Board To Reinstate Superintendent
Brick School Board Names Filippone Acting Superintendent, Keeps Gialanella In Smaller Role
Brick Schools Advertising For Superintendent, But Why?
Filippone Says He Didn't Aim To Be Brick Superintendent Long-Term

Ever since the election of John Lamela, Stephanie Wohlrab and Victoria Pakala and the subsequent replacement of nearly all of the district's professionals, the conflict between the three and now-former board members, including Larry Reid, Karyn Cusanelli and Walter Campbell, has been unrelenting. It's safe to expect that regardless of who is hired to be the superintendent, the person will be scrutinized.

The re-indictment of Uszenski may have cleared the way for the board to tell him he would not be rehired when his contract expires at the end of June 2018, but it won't be until the criminal charges against him are resolved that the district will be able to deal with the lawsuit Uszenski has filed against the district.

Note: This article has been updated to remove the date of the reorganization meeting, which was postponed due to the blizzard.

Maria DeBruin, honored as a national Milken Educator, is flanked by Acting Superintendent Dennis Filippone and former superintendents Richard Caldes (interim from May 2015 to January 2016) and Walter Hrycenko (2009-2012). Hiring a new superintendent is a critical issue in 2018, and one likely to be fraught with conflict. Photo by Karen Wall, Patch staff