By Mark Rosman
Staff Writer
The Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District Board of Education has approved a new five-year contract for Superintendent of Schools John J. Marciante Jr.
The contract, which was approved at the board’s March 15 meeting, runs from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2021. According to the meeting agenda, the new deal for Marciante was approved by the interim executive county superintendent of schools on Feb. 24.
According to the agenda, Marciante will be paid $165,000 in each of the five school years covered by the agreement: 2016-17 through 2020-21. The board and Marciante will select quantitative and/or qualitative criteria for merit increases as specified in the superintendent’s contract.
Marciante became the school district’s superintendent on July 1, 2007, succeeding Maureen Lally, who served as superintendent five years. Marciante was the assistant to the superintendent for pupil personnel services at the time he was named to the top post in the district.
The board voted 8-0 to approve the new contract for Marciante. Board member Gerald Bruno abstained on the vote due to a conflict, district administrators said.
Following the board’s vote, Marciante said, “First I want to thank the board for giving me this opportunity to continue to lead this incredible district for the next five years. The greatest challenge over the next several years will be the financial pressure that years of flat state funding will have on the district. … it was necessary to make cuts to balance the 2016-17 budget and I believe that will become the new normal without increases in state aid.
The Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District operates six elementary schools, one middle school and one early childhood learning center. The district’s enrollment in September 2015 was 5,031 pupils.
