Company Chosen to Lead Search for Brick Super

A private firm led by a former New Jersey Department of Education commissioner will head up Brick's search for a new superintendent.

West Hudson Associates, based in Malden-on-Hudson, N.Y., will assist the Board of Education in finding a new schools chief in Brick.

The company's CEO is Dr. William Librera, a superintendent for more than 20 years in two New Jersey school districts before being named Commissioner of Education for the state from 2002 through 2005.

The company will help advertise the position and handle initial screenings of candidates, according to a proposal filed with the Brick district. The company will also meet with the community to determine what local stakeholders want in a superintendent and how to choose an ideal match. That will be done through community forums, surveys and focus groups.

Board of Education members will make the final selection as to the new superintendent.

The process could take as long as six months, but uncertainty over the future of the district has now been quelled by the decision of the board to switch to November elections. That means the current board will remain in place long enough to choose the new superintendent.

Previously, it was thought that some candidates could shy away from the Brick job if a new ticket of board members won a majority in April, when the elections would have been held.

When company representatives pitched their services to the board in December, the news was positive on Brick's prospects of having a sizable pool of interested candidates.

"You'll hear a lot," said Dr. Peter Bastardo, one of company's representatives, of school districts finding it difficult to attract candidates with new superintendent in place. "But quality districts such as this will attract quality candidates. If you go to your salary cap, that's a nice salary in the state of New Jersey to be a superintendent."

West Hudson's selection service costs $9,800.

The board informed current superintendent Walter Hrycenko last summer that his contract as chief school administrator would after the 2011-12 school year. Hrycenko currently holds tenure as assistant superintendent and will bump down to that position if he remains with the district after the current school year.

Editor's note: A correction was made to this story. The price of West Hudson's service for Brick is $9,800. A separate package which the district could have purchased would have cost $17,300, the original price quoted in the story.