Glen Rock Superintendent Situation 'Not Ideal'

Finding a new superintendent in Glen Rock is more urgent than ever with the recent resignation of interim schools chief Raymond Albano.

Albano, hired to fill in for the departed David Verducci in April of 2012, was talked as a safety net in the event the search for a permanent candidate went longer than expected.

The board has spent close to a year searching for a candidate that to match the high expectations of parents. And now its safety net is gone.

A consulting firm hired by the district to help with the search in fall of 2012 thought a candidate might be ready by January. But difficulties with scheduling around the holiday break for board members has pushed the process back.

The board will be meeting again to discuss the vacancy on Jan. 21. Only two candidates remain from a list that initially numbered about 20, so the district seems close to keying in on their new leader.

It could get a bit bumpy over the next month or two.

Englewood Cliffs sat in limbo over the fall when the man they picked for superintendent, Robert Kravitz, was not released from his contract as a principal in Fort Lee. Glen Rock would still have to negotiate a deal once its candidate is selected.

The numbers shouldn't be too hard to draw up. The borough is on superintendent pay.

For now, a more immediate concern remains. The state requires each district to have a superintendent, whether it be an interim position or a permanent role. Albano's last day is scheduled for Feb. 8; but the board does not meet between Jan. 21 and Feb. 8.

The board could appoint a current administrator as another interim in the 2012 school year or even find another outside gun for hire for the Jan. 21 meeting. Otherwise, the board will have to schedule a special meeting to officially name a top school administrator.

It's not an ideal situation, school board president Hirschberg said. But it's not quite doom and gloom, either.

"We have a lot of good options," he said.