CREST HAVEN – At least four years in the making, two county-funded school districts’ boards of education will merge July 1. The Vocational School and Special Services School districts will remain separate and will share a superintendent, Dr. Nancy Hudanich. She currently serves as Technical School District superintendent.
The new name of the combined board will be The Board of Education of the Special Services School District and the Vocational School District of the County of Cape May.
The approval took place April 10 when freeholders gave unanimous consent to the establishment of the united, six-member board. Ex-officio members will be the County Superintendent of Schools and the chairman of the county Mental Health Board, or their designees.
Ultimately, all members will serve three-year terms. At the outset, two members will serve for a year, two for two years, and two for three years.
Hudanich was present at the meeting as was retired interim county executive superintendent Dr. Richard Stepura and Robert Bumpus, current county executive superintendent and assistant commissioner for field services.
Freeholder Will Morey, who oversees county education, recounted how the initiative started with discussions “about how to best deploy resources, the best educational resources” for students.
He also spoke of the Compact School, which he realizes is an alternative high school that has been disbanded for lack of participants and funds, but a school he hopes to be revived in the 2019 school year.
He recalled the consideration once given to Camelot for a similar program, but one that was discounted after the county “went through due diligence…it was not a scenario we wanted to put kids into slots.” Morey said the county wanted a more customized education course for students.
When Superintendent Barbara Makoski revealed her retirement intentions, Morey said that is when discussions began to link the boards of education.
“We are not merging the districts,” Morey stressed. “They will stand alone. We are merging the boards of education of each school to serve both districts and the (student) population.”
He added the action would “serve a lot of needs for our youths” as it will result in “the most effective education possible.”
Bumpus said the action would be the fourth such consolidation he has witnessed; the others undertaken were in Salem, Gloucester, and Atlantic counties.
Hudanich said it was a “privilege to be in this role. This is a new opportunity for students of the county.” She added there would be “increased collaboration or resources and new programs.”
Hudanich pointed to Special Services with a declining enrollment.
Because of the placement of both schools in the Crest Haven Complex, Hudanich said it was “A wonderful opportunity to enhance offerings. This is going to be a really interesting project,” she said.
Morey lauded Stepura, who was involved in the early stages of the work, and Bumpus who “came in with great enthusiasm” for the endeavor.
Morey also lauded area school superintendents who had written letters of support for the action.
Hudanich said a search is currently ongoing for an assistant superintendent who will oversee the Special Services District.
Initial members of the consolidated board will be Michael Palombo and Anthony Anzelone, one-year terms; Jane Elwell and Robert Boyd, two-year terms; Ken Merson and Alan Gould, three-year terms.
Bumpus, as county superintendent, and Frank Garcia, chairman of the Cape May County Mental Health Board, will be the non-voting members of the board.
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