School Board Fills Month Gap Before Longterm Interim Superintendent Begins

Assistant Superintendent James Hauenstein will take the helm of Toms River Regional for the month of July until the Board of Education's longterm interim superintendent appointment can begin working in August. 

Though Thomas Gialanella was approved to a five-month interim superintendent position during a special meeting last week, he is not eligible to begin work in Toms River until Aug. 1, 30 days after completing his contract with Jackson, according to Toms River Board of Education President Ben Giovine. 

With current Superintendent Frank Roselli leaving at the end of June, Hauenstein was appointed to a one month term as the district head as not to leave Toms River without a leader during that time. 

"Legally, we need a superintendent," Giovine said. 

Since the term is short and during the summer months when district duties mainly involve maintenance issues, the board thought that Hauenstein made a good fit. 

"We didn't want to bring someone from outside the district for a 30 day position," Giovine said. 

All eligible board members voted in favor of Hauenstein's appointment—Edward Gearity abstained due to a potential conflict and Tom Baxter was absent. 

Hauenstein likely will be paid per diem on top of his salary to fill the interim superintendent role, though that rate has not yet been negotiated, according to Giovine. His assistant superintendent employment contract was renewed last month at $158,100. 

Before becoming one of the district's three assistant superintendents in 2011, Hauenstein served as principal of High School North. He began his teaching career as a special education instructor at Intermediate East in 1982.

Like Gialanella, interim assistant superintendent Dr. Marianne Gaffney will assume her post beginning in August. Because of a month gap, current Interim Assistant Superintendent Joseph Pizza was approved for a one month contract extension Tuesday. 

Pizza's contract was set to expire on June 30. The new contract runs from July 1 through July 30, at a pay rate of $500 per workday. 

Gaffney was approved as the new Interim Assistant Superintendent from Aug. 1 through Dec. 31, the same term as Gialanella. Gaffney, who once worked in Wall, most recently served Cherry Hill Public Schools as Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. 

As under his current contract, Pizza will be provided with use of a cell phone and given mileage reimbursement, though he is not eligible for health benefits or paid sick days. 

Pizza was appointed to the post last year, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of William Cardone.

The appointments of Gialanella and Gaffney were approved at a special board meeting last week. The positions will be paid on a per diem basis, but the rates have not yet been negotiated, Giovine has said. 

Roselli, 61, announced his retirement in late-March after suffering a heart attack early that month. He said that he has been "blessed" to have been an educator for the past 40 years, 32 of which were spent in Toms River. 

A nationwide search is underway by Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, which has a regional office in Jersey City, for his replacement. The firm has a $19,500 contract with the district to lead the search.