Shared Services Talks Back on Table For West Long Branch, Shore Regional

There is still a chance West Long Branch School District students will have a new superintendent this school year.

After initially , the West Long Branch Board of Education (BOE) will again explore the possibility at its next meeting.

West Long Branch School District Interim Superintendent/Business Administrator Herbert Massa said the board will discuss the possibility of sharing a business administrator and superintendent with Shore Regional at the next board meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 28 at 6 p.m.

Massa said he does not know decision the board will make but said that members of the Shore Regional BOE will be on hand as well as the county superintendent.

"I don't know what the game plan is, it's up to the board to come up with what they're going to do," Massa said this week.

Massa's contract as an interim superintendent and business administrator expires on Sept. 1. He said the latest he can remain at the school, under pension rules, is June, 2013 as a superintendent and January, 2013, as a business administrator.

Interim positions in local school districts can only be held for a maximum of two years.

"We will have a better idea of what my future is after the meeting," Massa said.

Shore Regional Board of Education President Ron O'Neill said the district recently rehired Renae LaPrete to be the school's superintendent for a second year.

He said the decision to rehire LaPrete does not change the board's stance on shared services.

"We are still willing to share a superintendent and business administrator with other districts, including West Long Branch," O'Neill said. "We are very happy to have (LaPrete's) services for another year, we are very happy with her."

O'Neill said he also did not know what the West Long Branch BOE would decide at its next meeting

"I can't say what they would like to do or not like to do," O'Neill said.

A feasibility study was recently completed that advised the schools to share a business administrator and superintendent. The study stated that the districts could save between $142,000 and $152,500 each year if they decided to use share a superintendent.