TOMS RIVER – The search for a new superintendent has turned political as some Board of Education members say they are being pressured to choose certain candidates.
Currently, Thomas Gialanella is serving as interim superintendent. Former Superintendent David Healy retired on the last day of 2020. Healy had offered to stay until the end of June while the superintendent search was underway, but that move was blocked, some say politically.
Board of Education member Kathleen Eagan said that Councilman Daniel Rodrick asked her to tell another board member to endorse someone as superintendent.
She said this during a public Board of Education meeting while answering a question from former Board member Christopher Raimann.
The issue has become a wildfire on social media, and has erupted into Board of Education and Township Council meetings. While the council and the board are elected leadership positions, it is illegal for one to influence another.
Rodrick denied the allegation at the Township Council meeting.
“I did not try to influence Kathy Eagan,” he said. He added that Eagan did contact other Board members to choose a certain candidate.
Board members Ashley Palmiere and Lisa Contessa had sent an email to the Township Council and to media accusing Eagan of trying to pressure them about choosing a particular candidate.
Contessa said that she and Palmiere have been pushed by “many individuals in and out of the district” to make a decision one way or another. “Trust that we will choose the best person for the job.”
The Patch reported that Contessa, Palmiere and their running mate last year, Ken Londregan, received $16,000 from three political action committees that share the same address in Toms River as Rodrick’s company, Cornerstone Communications. They also had paid Cornerstone $3,850 for lawn signs.
“My concern is there has been some type of undue influence regarding trying to hire a superintendent,” Raimann said. “Mr. Rodrick is tied to two of the existing board members and money was moved back and forth. I think it should be looked at.”
Rodrick also accused Raimann and Eagan of having political motivations in other publications, saying they support Jason Crispin, who is up against Rodrick in the Republican primary election next month.
Eagan had said at a previous Board meeting that someone from the council had contacted her, but she did not say at the time who it was. She said recently that she didn’t want to say the name because she didn’t want it to become political. She just wanted it publicly known that there were people trying to influence the decision.
As it turns out, the issue became even more political and she apologized for causing this by coming forward.
Authorities have said they will be collecting emails and text messages by elected officials to determine what private information was leaked and who is influencing who.
Budget Crunch
All of this drama is against the backdrop of continuing budget issues in Toms River. The state has changed its funding formula so that towns like Toms River are losing millions of dollars a year. They will end up losing more than $90 million by the end of the process.
The budget was discussed at the same meeting as the most recent allegations. Officials talked about losing about two dozen positions, with the best case scenario being that these are absorbed mostly by retirements.
“Where is the outrage?” former Board candidate Rachel Remelgado asked. She had been active in protesting the state aid cuts. “How much time and energy and resources are being spent on things that have nothing to do with education?”
In previous years, Healy would organize busloads of protestors to go to Trenton and make noise to get lawmakers to notice them. Instead, she said, everyone is caught up in politics.
“Instead of being a mouthpiece for politicians…be a mouthpiece for the students,” she said. “Put the damn kids first.”
“Our children suffer because of personal agendas,” said another former Board candidate, Melissa Morrison. “If there are any board members who do not have our children’s best interests at heart, they should step down immediately.”
