Vicari Vows to Step Down Before Next School Board Election

Fed up with what he calls "political bashing" over the past eight months, schools Superintendent Joseph H. Vicari will step down before the April 17 school board election.

"I'm not going to jeopardize the election because of partisan politics," said Vicari, after tonight's Board of Education meeting.

Vicari made the surprise announcement at the start of the meeting. He told board members to begin advertising for a new superintendent.

He has been working for the district since last April - when he returned after a two-year hiatus - at a reduced salary of $18,500, the lowest pay state law allows for a certified school administrator.

Vicari offered to return to work for free early last year to save the district money on a traditional superintendent's salary, which could run as high $196,000, including benefits.

That sum will be placed into the 2012 school year budget to enable the district to find a new superintendent.

"Students and teachers will lose $196,000 that should be going to staff and programs," Vicari said.

Vicari, who started on April 1, said his reasons for coming back were simple —to save teachers'  jobs, save taxpayers money and improve the quality of education.

"I'm not going to get involved in political battles," he said. "I will do this job."

Vicari has said many times a previous board's decision not to renew his contract in 2008 was illegal. He has said that the decision was politically engineered by the previous board and the local and county Democratic organizations.

He left the district June 2009, when his contract expired, after serving six years as superintendent. He did not apply for unemployment benefits.

"Thank you," board member James Fulcomer said. "You saved the jobs of at least three teachers. I thank you for saving those jobs."

Vicari said after the meeting there was no truth to the rumor that if the Berkeley and Central Regional school districts ever merged, that he would be the superintendent.

"I'm not looking for a full time job," he said.

Voters turned down the $26,512,541 tax levy portion of this year's  $32,022,145 budget by a vote of 2,101 to 1,929 on April 27. Roughly 17 percent of the township's registered voters went to the polls. There was no school tax increase in the budget.

"That should never happen again," Vicari said. "It was a zero tax increase."

Vicari said he was also upset over political attacks on board member Stephen Pellecchia.

"It's not fair, it's not appropriate," Vicari said.

"Joe, thank you for the kind words," Pellechia said. "God blessed me with big shoulders."

Vicari's return marked the end of nearly two years of controversy and a lengthy search for a new permanent superintendent. Arlene J. Lippincott, who had served as interim superintendent after Vicari left, returned as principal of the Bayville Elementary School.

Vicari was recently re-elected to his 11th term on the Ocean County Board of Freeholders.