Search Starts for West Morris Regional Superintendent

The West Morris Regional School Board has begun the process of finding a replacement for Superintendent Anthony di Battista, who announced his retirement Dec. 2.

“This is the most important job the board has,” said former Washington Township representative and board president John Notte at Monday night’s regular meeting. Notte oversaw the hiring of three of the district’s superintendents, including di Battista.

The task ahead of the board is so tall that di Battista offered as much help as he could give in the search, even beyond his retirement date.

“If this board is unable to find a new or interim , I’ll stay in my position for an additional month without pay,” di Battista said.

How the process of finding candidates begins, however, was not completely agreed upon by the board.

Board president and Washington Township representative Cristen Forrester brought forth a motion to hire a consultant, Richard Fiander, to begin the vetting process of candidates by filtering resumes and conducting reference checks.

Fiander was recommended by , Forrester said. Fiander’s services would cost the district $2,000 if retained.

But before the group would vote on the motion, members wanted to explore different avenues of finding a new school chief.

Dave Lobron, representing Washington Township, said that the faculty members he has stayed in touch with at since retiring have expressed anxiousness about at the same time.

“The faculty I’ve spoken with are uneasy about these upper-level members all leaving at once,” Lobron said. “I think, at least in the interim, we should stay in house. Why can’t one of our upper-level administrators already in the district take on this job?”

Mendham Township representative Jamie Button also was opposed to the process, but for different reasons.

Button said he wasn’t ready to approve a motion before seeing a resume from Fiander, despite the recommendation from Librera. Button asked if the motion could be tabled until the next meeting, which isn’t until Jan. 9, and would be willing to hold a special meeting before then.

Board members opposed, however, saying the process should begin immediately.

“What’s a special meeting going to do?” asked Washington Township representative Joseph Galayda. “We’re here to make decisions, not oversee minutiae.”

“I think we owe it to the schools and to the district to keep moving forward,” said Mendham Borough representative Jacke Schram.

The board voted 8-1, with Lobron opposing, to retain Fiander’s services immediately. The district will begin advertising in print media and online for the vacancy.

Based on new legislation approved by the state earlier this year, an incoming superintendent to West Morris Regional would be capped at a salary of $155,000 because of the district’s student population of less than 3,000.

di Battista’s current salary is $192,382.

Hot Button Issue

The vacancy being left by di Battista came somewhat unexpectedly, and , residents from district’s sending municipalities disagreed, and took aim at Button.

“My town voted to put a bully on the board. The worst kind of bully,” said Dannah Asrajadid of Mendham Township, referring to Button. “These board meetings are like a battlefield. How are our students supposed to learn from a board that is allowing a bully?”

Asrajadid said she pulled her children from their former school district and friends to move to Mendham, specifically for its schooling and, particularly, because of di Battista’s leadership after she had done extensive research.

“This superintendent is irreplaceable,” Asrajadid said.

Button, who in the past has stated he is the founder of Citizens for Better Schools (CBS), made no rebuttal to Asrajadid’s comments. CBS is a group of residents from the Mendhams and Chesters seeking a change in the funding formula for the school district.

“If [Button] is the founder of CBS, then isn’t that a conflict of interest on the board?” asked Mendham Township’s Lucy Jimenez.

The board is not empowered to remove a member, replied Forrester. It would have to come as a result of a recall effort by the representative’s town's residents, or an ethics violation.

“I know Dr. di Battista is loved and supported by teachers at West Morris Central, and it’s a shame that he’ll no longer be leading this district,” said Washington Township resident Leslie Mule. “If CBS is behind this, I’d like to see who you are. If you’re in this room, stand up and show yourself.”

No one in the audience–or on the board–stood.