Schools Superintendent survives vote on contract
N.B. school board says little on why Rimmer was almost let go
BY JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer

North Brunswick residents are angry over a closed session hearing conducted last week to decide Schools Superintendent Robert Rimmer's future with the school district.

The board voted 4-4 with one abstention to keep Rimmer on as head of the school district after a confidential meeting by the nine elected board members at a conference meeting on March 14.

Nearly 100 people attended the March 16 regular meeting, many of whom expressed their frustration that information about the Rimmer situation appeared in a local newspaper following the vote, although all discussions pertaining to it took place in closed session. Citing a law that prohibits discussion of personnel matters, board Attorney Anthony Vignuolo advised the board not to hear any public comment on the situation.

"But you're letting us go on rumors," resident Debra Gorden said. "You need to give us something to satisfy the hunger."

Former board members Barbara Snepar and Rita Goldstein accused the board of having personal agendas in attempting to remove Rimmer, and warned of the upcoming elections in April, in which incumbents Gail DiPane, Claire Padovano and Bruce Kenney running for re-election.

"The statement was made that it is time for the board to move in a new direction. What happens next month with the seats open and up for election?" Goldstein asked.

However, student representative Michael Padovano, Claire's son, rejected the claims of ulterior motives by the board.

"To say that this puts the reputation of North Brunswick in the gutter, so to speak ... North Brunswick is already in the gutter. ... It's time to start making changes and move in the direction Mrs. Goldstein spoke so highly of," he said.

Padovano was alluding to the fact that his mother, said to be an opponents of Rimmer staying with the district, helped appoint him in 2001 by holding meetings and campaigning on his behalf late into the morning. A few board members said they believed that Rimmer has since become "ineffective," without elaborating.

On the other hand, resident Maureen Little applauded the diversity of the board, commending its members for their volunteer efforts and differences of opinion.

"I'm glad to observe tonight that this is not a rubber-stamped board," she said. "You should vote with your heart and what you believe."

The March 14 vote also included a motion to grant Rimmer's request for a four- to six-week medical leave and to appoint Geri Margin, the assistant superintendent of schools, to acting superintendent.

Vignuolo said that any residents with concerns over this matter can contact Business Administrator Marshall Sigall at (732) 289-3022, but any personnel questions cannot be directly answered. Official information will not be released until the board minutes are approved next month.

"We have a lot on our plate but we are focusing on moving forward and making sure that all of [our] initiatives are completed successfully," Margin said.