Michael Messinger will serve as president of the Freehold Regional High School District Board of Education during 2018.
Messinger, who is Marlboro’s representative on the board, was elected to the position during the board’s reorganization meeting on Jan. 10.
Prior to the election of a president, the three men who won seats on the board in the Nov. 7 election were sworn in to begin serving three-year terms. The winners were Carl Accettola of Colts Neck, and incumbents Messinger and Samuel Carollo of Freehold Township. All three men ran unopposed.
Carl Accettola previously served on the board from 2011-14. His son, Vincent Accettola, served on the board from 2015-17 and did not seek re-election in November. Carl Accettola was the only resident of Colts Neck to file a nominating petition and has now returned to the board.
When the floor was opened to nominations for president, Accettola nominated Messinger and Carollo nominated Manalapan representative Jennifer Sutera, who served as president during 2017.
On roll call, Accettola and Howell representatives Peter Bruno and Amy Fankhauser voted for Messinger and he voted for himself. Freehold Borough representative Heshy Moses and Carollo voted for Sutera and she voted for herself. Under the board’s voting point system, Messinger was elected president.
Messinger said, “I truly appreciate the support that several of my fellow board members gave me. My plan is to lead the board in support of the students, administration and faculty of the district while at the same time keeping an eye on spending.
“The board fully realizes that property taxes continue to rise without a commensurate rise in taxpayers’ incomes. The taxpayers can be assured that every decision we make will balance the educational needs of our students with the pocketbooks of the taxpayers.
“Our board also cherishes interaction with the community and greatly appreciates feedback. All are welcome at our monthly meetings … and all of our members can be reached via email if the public so desires. I can be reached at mmessinger@frhsd.com if the public has issues and concerns they would like the board to address,” Messinger said.
When the floor was opened to nominations for vice president, Messinger nominated Bruno, who served as vice president during 2017. Accettola, Bruno, Carollo, Fankhauser, Messinger and Moses voted yes and Sutera voted no. Under the board’s voting point system, Bruno was elected vice president.
Farmingdale representative Kathie Lavin was absent from the reorganization meeting and the seat that is held by a representative of Englishtown is vacant at the present time.
The board oversees the operation of the district’s high schools in Colts Neck, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Howell, Manalapan and Marlboro.
In business conducted at the meeting, the board accepted the retirement of Robert Keyes, a special education teacher at Freehold High School, Freehold Borough, after 17 years of service to the district, effective June 30, and the retirement of Carole Tashjian, a mathematics teacher at Marlboro High School, after 33 years of service to the district, effective March 31.
Board members appointed Chelsea Lynch to serve as head coach of girls lacrosse at Howell High School. The position carries a stipend of $8,321.
Finally, the board approved a change order with C.J. Vanderbeck and Sons that reduced the price of a boiler replacement project at the district’s administration building in Englishtown from $271,170 to $261,170.
