Part-Time Facility Monitor Denied for West Morris Central

West Morris Central will head into its 2014-15 school year with a full time facility monitor, but not a part-time facility monitor, as formerly proposed.

The board of education approved the $40,000 contract for Tim Smarth, a full time monitor at the high school, but did not tally enough votes to approve the $20 per hour position for John Notte, who has worked part time as a facility monitor for the past four years.

According to board president Gary Lakritz, the board only had seven members present. Four of them voted in favor of Notte, with two declining and one abstaining. All personnel matters require a board majority – five votes – to pass.

Notte’s position would have had him at the school for up to five hours a day for the full 180-day calendar. Notte previously earned $35 per hour in the position and also served as the board president prior to that. Notte is a retired Jefferson Township school teacher who receives an annual pension payment of $63,344, according to public records.

At the same meeting, the board approved three separate merit bonuses for Superintendent Mackey Pendergrast totaling $15,592.50.

Each bonus came with a potential 3.3-percent payout of Pendergrast’s annual salary, which is capped at $155,000. The first bonus up for approval was the Student Growth Objective; then a Language Arts HSPA Scores for Advanced Level Students; and finally another bonus for Junior Class AP Exam Participation/Passing.