Regional Board OKs Lead Guidance Counselors

The West Morris Regional High School District has promoted two guidance counselors to take on lead positions after the board of education voted to restructure the departments in each school.

Guidance counselor Matthew Ferreri will take on the lead position at the West Morris Central High School guidance department, and John McGoldrick will take on the same duties at Mendham High School.

Both counselors will receive $15,000 stipends for the 2012-13 school year.

The board voted to positions in mid-July, and moved to implement the lead counselor position.

By eliminating the director position at each school, the district takes an estimated $400,000 off the budget. In that total for the two directors are salary, benefits, and additional stipends for taking part in IRS and 504 Committees, Pendergrast said.

At Central, guidance director Randy Evans retired, effective Aug. 31, while Mendham’s guidance director, Marianne Marchese, was given “notification of any eligibility she may have, through tenure and seniority, for other positions in the district,” according to the district.

By voting for the lead counselor option, the district freed up enough money to provide one extra counselor in each school, according to Superintendent Mackey Pendergrast. The cost savings would also provide available funds for the district to bolster or replace positions within the district.

One of those new positions was a lead teacher of electives at both high schools. The board voted at its August meeting to appoint Anne Meagher to that position at West Morris Central. The board will vote to appoint the same position at Mendham High School at a future meeting.

The additional guidance counselors to each school have yet to be named, but Pendergrast originally said he would like them to be implemented before the start of the school year.

The next board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 10 at West Morris Central High School.