Ryan Gaskill, principal at the Eugene A. Tighe Middle School.

By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY

MARGATE – The Board of Education Wednesday, April 14, approved employee contracts for the district’s current administrative staff.

In addition to approving Principal Audrey Becker as the district’s new superintendent, effective July 1, the board approved a new one-year contract for the business administrator/board secretary, and a three-year contract for the Margate Principals and Supervisors Association.

According to the contracts, Business Administrator Jennifer Germana will earn $99,704 for the year starting July 1 until June 30, 2021.

With Becker’s promotion, the district will have one principal, Ryan Gaskill, who is currently the principal at the Eugene A. Tighe Middle School. He will earn $117,676 for fiscal year July 1 to June 30, 2022, with 2.5% raises in years two and three of the contract.

In addition to providing a process to hear grievances, the contract allows a principal to collect, upon retirement or a reduction in force, up to 200 sick days to be paid at a rate totaling $150 per day.

Becker said the district will soon be advertising to hire another principal. Interviews will be conducted in spring and the district anticipates hiring someone by July 1, Becker said. Advertising will be geared toward the public as there is currently no staff member qualified to hold a principal’s certificate.

Becker said the administrative staff talked “extensively” about options available to consolidate positions “without lessening our product,” she said.

“We feel our students and families deserve to have a full-time principal,” she said.

Becker, who previously served as the district’s director of curriculum, will assume that role in addition to being superintendent, upon the retirement of current Supervisor of Curriculum Loreen Cohen on June 30.

“I will take on most of the curriculum responsibilities because it’s in my skill set,” Becker said. “It’s a better match with the superintendent duties rather than a principal.”

 

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Categories: Downbeach

Nanette LoBiondo Galloway

Award winning journalist covering news, events and people of Atlantic County for more than 20 years.