Glen Rock Has Found Its New Superintendent

The lengthy search to find a new educator to take over for retired superintendent David Verducci appears near a close, Glen Rock school board members said Tuesday.

The district has been seeking a full-time chief administrator sinceVerducci announced his early retirement in March. The wait is nearly over, with board members saying a single candidate has emerged from a pack of about 20. The federated HSA was notified Tuesday of the decision.

"We are not prepared to announce the name yet because we need to negotiate a contract with that individual and submit it to the county superintendent for approval," board president Sheldon Hirschberg told Patch Tuesday.

The district is capped at offering , but negotiations will etch out details of sick days and other ancillary terms.

With Interim Superintendent Ray Albano bidding adieu on Feb. 8, the Glen Rock school board has called a special meeting on Feb. 4 to appoint a successor.

"Assuming we get approval from the county superintendent, we not only intend to announce [the selection] on that Monday but also invite that candidate to the meeting," Hirschberg said.

One thing is certain – there will be a new superintendent appointed on Feb. 4 though it likely won't be the permanent candidate.

By law, the district must have a superintendent, interim or not. Albano's last day is set for Feb. 8 and the board was not scheduled to meet until Feb. 11.

Typical contract provisions of higher level administrators require a 60-day notice period, so the candidate is likely to still be at his/her home district for several weeks.

Board members anticipate appointing an internal candidate as an acting superintendent until the permanent hire can be sworn in, Hirschberg said.

He hopes it won't take the full two months, though the recent spat between the Fort-Lee and Englewood Cliffs school districts prove it's not always smooth sailing with mid-year transfers.

Albano has served as the interim schools chief since July. The veteran administrator left somewhat earlier than was expected, telling the board obligations to his new job – as a grandfather – led to his retirement.

For his work in Glen Rock, Albano received the keys to the borough from Mayor John van Keuren on Monday night.

The Feb. 4 meeting starts at 8 p.m. No cancelation of the Feb. 11 meeting has been announced.

This report was last updated at 6:28 p.m. on Tuesday.