Holmdel - What WIll Happen To Retiring Assistant Business Administrator's Position?

by Michelle Sahn 

School board members are studying whether to replace the retiring assistant business administrator or allow the position to remain vacant.

As a third option, board members will also try to determine if the position should be restructured.

The Board of Education’s Budget and Finance Committee will review the issue, which board members hope to address by the Feb. 11 meeting.

Peter Mikos, who has been the district’s assistant business administrator/assistant board secretary, since 2006, is retiring on March 1.

At Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting, Peter Reddy, a board member, said many districts similar in size to Holmdel do not have an assistant business administrator. Holmdel has four schools.

“I think it’s definitely something we should look at, especially if (we) could...direct those funds to students or other things that are going to affect the students of the district,” he said.

But another board member, Mike Sockol, said a new assistant business administrator’s annual salary would be less than the $110,000 now allocated for the position.

He cautioned against being “penny-wise and pound-foolish,’’ and said he believed the position needed to be filled soon. Employees in the district’s finance office work to find grants for local schools and deal with a myriad of county, state and federal financial regulations, he said.

Superintendent Barbara Duncan said job titles and descriptions are created locally in New Jersey’s school districts. So, other districts may have employees who hold different titles, but perform the job functions of assistant business administrators, she said.

Board member John Martinez said he understood everyone’s point of view.

“At the end of the day, if we don’t...analyze it in a fair way, what we’re doing up here is all for naught,’’ he said. “We have to look at it, and I think it’s a good discussion to have.”