School Chief's Contract OK'd for Double Duty

Even though he’s been splitting his time between two school districts since Oct. 1, the Hackettstown School Board of Education made Superintendent Dave Mango’s shared service contract official on Wednesday.

The agreement, which has Mango overseeing both Hackettstown Public Schools and the Great Meadows K-8 district, was approved at the board’s Sept. 27 meeting. Mango took his original position as top schools administrator July 1.

At its Wednesday meeting, the board finalized Mango’s contract addendum, which, by law, gives him a raise to the superintendent salary cap set by Governor Chris Christie in 2011.

Mango was earning $146,500 annually, and is now being given a salary of $157,500 for the increase in total pupils under his supervision.

The salary will be split 60/40, with Hackettstown paying the majority and Great Meadows making up the difference. Health and pension benefits, along with other costs such as professional development, will be split evenly between the two districts.

Not Fit for All Positions

While it was proposed at an earlier meeting the Hackettstown Schools Business Administrator, Teresa Barna, would go the same route as Mango, the board decided against the thought prior to Wednesday night’s meeting.

Barna, also the board secretary, would have taken on the same role for the Allamuchy K-8 school district if the proposal came to fruition. But it was not meant to be, she said.

“There are definitely some efficiencies to be had with this shared service,” Barna said. “But there are some (procedures) that can’t be combined, so it never made it to the agenda.”

Barna will stay on as the full time Hackettstown Schools business administrator only.

The next board of education meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Hackettstown High School on Wednesday, Nov. 14.