HOBOKEN – The Hoboken Board of Education has approved Dr. Mark Toback as their selection as superintendent of schools, but delays from higher levels of government have complicated the issue.
The board is unable to bring Toback on at this point because his contract must be approved by the county superintendent of schools and the state department of education.
New Jersey’s Acting Commissioner of Education Rochelle Hendricks has directed executive county superintendents to review all school superintendent contracts. Until a complete review is done, no contracts or contract extensions will be approved. Hendricks also noted that existing contracts that expire after Gov. Christopher Christie’s proposed caps on superintendents salaries take effect on Feb. 7 will not be approved unless they comply with the proposed regulations.
The board voted 8-1 to pursue legal action with the hope that the process will move forward, as Toback needs to provide 60-day notice to his current district in Sussex County.
Hoboken Interim Superintendent Peter Carter’s contract will expire on Jan. 31, 2011. The timeframe leaves a small window for the contract to be completed to ensure that Hoboken will avoid being without a superintendent on Feb. 1. For the complete story on the situation, pick up a copy of The Hoboken Reporter this weekend. – Ray Smith