School Board Swears in Newly Elected Members, Chooses President

The Toms River Regional Board of Education has as its new president Edward Gearity and Jack Reuther as its new vice president.

The school board held its organization meeting tonight at Toms River High School North.

Gearity was appointed by the board in January 2001 to represent Beachwood and was elected to his first three-year term in April 2001.

Reuther was elected to the board in 2009 to a three year term representing Toms River.

Gearity began the 7:30 p.m. portion of the board meeting thanking voters for approving the regional school budget’s tax levy.

“We would like to take opportunity to express our sincere appreciation of our four regional districts,” said Gearity, reading from a statement. “We will continue to pursue efficiencies.”

Sworn in to three-year terms on the board were Ben Giovine, Alex Pavliv and Loreen Torrone, who won the April 27 election.

The three newest members of the board received applause from the audience and a welcome from several of their peer board members of the nine-member body.

Each said they hope to live up to the voter’s expectations.

“I’d like to thank the community for its support, and the support of the budget,” Giovine said. “Let me just briefly say hello. This is my first board meeting, and I hope to serve the community to the best of my ability.”

Pavliv and Torrone echoed Giovine’s comments in their public reports, each saying they both hope to live up to voters’ expectations.

Tom Baxter welcomed the new board members, congratulating them and also thanking the voters for approving the school budget.

Board Member Michael A. Jedziniak said he was looking forward to the new board.

“I’m a team guy, a team player, and I’m looking forward to working with people with new ideas,” Jedziniak said. “Congratulations.”

Board Member Gus Kakavas said he too has congratulations for the candidates and the approved budget.

“I too believe they can add a new deminsion to the board,” Kakavas said. “I’m looking forward to a very fruitful exchange of idas.”

Reuther also expressed his hope for the board’s future.

“I’m confident we will be able to work together to serve the community,” he said. Reuther’s comments also touched upon the recent race, where eight candidates ran for three spots on the board. There were 11 candidates who filed to run.

“I’d like to commend all the candidates,” Reuther said. “I hope they will continue their interest in the community and in serving to accomplish the important work ahead.”

The selection of a board president was not a single nomination or a unanimous vote. Instead, there was some debate on who should serve.

Giovine nominated Reuther to the spot of president, saying Reuther was free of conflicts of interest in that he did not have any relatives also working in the district.

Reuther declined the nomination, and Gearity was elected as president with Giovine and Torrone voting no. Pavliv abstained from voting.

Gearity then nominated Reuther to serve as vice president, which the board members voted unanimously in favor.

As part of the organization meeting, the board also voted on meeting times for its regular meetings. Torrone suggested switching the board meeting to be held on a Wednesday instead of the third Tuesday of each month. The date has fallen on the same night as the township council meetings, and switching to Wednesday would prevent that.

Torrone, Pavliv and Giovine again voted no on the Tuesday meeting schedule but the board agreed to have the next two meetings on the third Tuesday until an answer could be found.

When the vote came to readopt the board code of ethics, Giovine suggested the code be strengthened in its language, going beyond the state minimum code now in place for Toms River Regional, he said. The board agreed to adopt the code but Giovine said he’d like to present a code for consideration in a coming meeting, especially one that outlines the policies on nepotism.

After the meeting, Giovine said he believed his first meeting went well.

“I was a bit nervous,” he said. “This was my first meeting as an elected member. I think it went well.”

He said he was thankful for the welcome from other board members and was glad to bring discussion to the board.

“I think it was good to have debate, even as to who should be the president,” Giovine said. “Our debate on the board president certainly doesn’t mean we won’t be working with Gearity, of course not, but we wanted to make a suggestion and have some discussion and I think it went well.”

Gearity said after the meeting that he’s still excited by the work ahead, but said he hopes the new and returning board members remain focused on what he said was the number one reason they are here: the students.

“I think ultimately what our job is here is for the students, that’s the most important thing,” Gearity said.