Jeffrey Brookner Tapped for School Board Presidency

Shortly after the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional Board of Education named Jeffrey Brookner president for 2014 at Tuesday's meeting, he was questioned about two unresolved issues from 2013: the status of the superintendent search and the possibility of full-day kindergarten.

The questions came from Running Brook Road residents Kristy Hayden and Maryann Larson, and in both cases, Brookner said it was too early to say. He said it hasn't been decided whether or not to relaunch the superintendent search with assistance from the New Jersey School Boards Association, or to use some other search.  

"I haven't decided whether there's going to be a separate committee for that purpose or whether it's going to be the personnel committee," Brookner said about the superintendent search. "So, not only hasn't the decision been made, the people who would make that decision haven't been named."

The board will finalize its committee assignments at its Jan. 28 meeting, when Brookner also said more discussion on how the superintendent search may be conducted.

Hayden asked about the status of the demographic report the board plans to use for evaluating future needs of the district, including whether or not full-day kindergarten could be offered. Interim Superintendent Cheryl Dyer said the report is due in February, after which Brookner said the board will be able to begin discussing options for kindergarten.

The annual reorganization meeting also included a vote on the vice-chairman, which board members split between Lynne Hurley and Jill Gladstone before Brookner broke the tie to put Gladstone in the role. Gladstone received votes from members Ann Marie Mead, Arvind Mathur, Jackie Barlow and herself, while Hurley had the support of Aaron Kurdyla, Patrick Breslin, Evan Lerner and her own vote.

Also, Breslin managed to frighten any other board members from an assignment to the Somerset County Educational Services Commission, which he has been doing for several years. When Brookner asked if he'd like to be re-appointed, Breslin said he would do it—"unless anyone wants to arm wrestle me for it."

None did.  

This article was edited to correct an error reporting the date the demographer's report is expected.