The Little Egg Harbor School District has finally hired a full-time transportation supervisor. Tammy Anderson will start her job on Nov. 26. She will be paid $75,000.

Board of education member Dennis O’Keefe commented on the selection of Anderson. “I’m very excited and thrilled about the presentation she gave us in executive (session). Really look forward to getting her on board, many years’ experience, looks like she’s going to get the job done and excited to get her in that seat.”

Toward the end of the Oct. 13 BOE meeting, Anderson took the microphone.

“I just want to give a little bit of history and a little bit of bio on me,” she said after thanking the board for hiring her. “I drove a school bus for 27 years, actually in Little Egg also. I drove eight years in Little Egg years ago.

“My family owns a private (busing) contractor (firm) of North Jersey for over 80 years. I was basically born on a school bus,” said the New Gretna resident. “My dad’s side of the family, they’re all over-the-road truck drivers. So, transportation does run deep in my family and I have a lot of experience I’m going to bring to the table, and we’re going to get things going the right way.”

Board President Chris Filiciello had made finding a new transportation supervisor his main goal at the board’s September meeting. He thanked Acting Superintendent Michelle Cappelluti for all of her hard work in finding Anderson.

The hiring of people associated with the district’s transportation department didn’t end there. Pamela Nicholias was officially hired as a part-time (meaning she won’t receive healthcare benefits) assistant transportation supervisor at a prorated salary of $55,000. Jennifer Salus was another transportation department hire, serving as a part-time dispatcher at a salary of $45,000.

That had former board member Christine Snyder asking questions.

Are Projected Savings

Still Reliable?

“I’m here tonight to ask the board to reconsider its approval of an assistant transportation supervisor position in our district,.” she said. “I do not recall this position being included in the original transportation plan, and I would like to understand why it is now considered necessary. We already had to replace our original transportation supervisor at a higher salary and hire a transportation consultant to develop routes for the current school year. These additional expenses raise important questions about the planning, implementation and overall costs of this transition.

“It took our district years to move away from the historical pattern of adding assistant positions throughout the organization,” Snyder continued. “Given the board’s stated commitment to fiscal responsibility, I question whether creating an additional administrative position is necessary at this time, particularly when we are still working through the challenges of implementing our transportation plan.”

Snyder asked for a comprehensive update on the actual costs and anticipated savings associated with operating the district’s own bus fleet. When this plan was approved last year there were projected costs and expected savings. “Now,” she said, “we need to know what those projections compare with reality.”

There had been, Snyder said, many unexpected costs, including a higher salary for the new transportation supervisor, the costs of the transportation consultant, additional bus aides, rising fuel costs, and the cost of outsourcing drivers to Sheppard Bus Service. She questioned why the board had moved forward with the implementation before securing enough bus drivers to meet the transportation needs.

School bus drivers were definitely on the mind of board members, district employees, and even students that day. A popular bus driver, Mike Sims, had suffered a fatal heart attack that morning as he was preparing for his run.

“It was such a tragic shock to find out what happened,” said Filiciello. “Later in the afternoon, after word got out that he had passed, social media lit up with his impact. I know two parents shared how their daughter and their two sons who had him as a bus driver, were absolutely devastated because he made a difference, because he was kind. Both families said he was always kind to the kids. … I do want to publicly state that from what I’ve read, Mr. Mike, as he’s known, made a difference, made an impact as a bus driver. And we thank him for his service and we pray and trust that he’s still looking down on our district.”

A New Role

For ECC Principal

Busing wasn’t the only important issue discussed at the Oct. 13 meeting.

A decision was made to make Anne Flynn, principal of the Robert C. Wood Early Childhood Center, principal of the George J. Mitchell Elementary School as well.

It is a cost-saving move considering Flynn did not get a raise despite increasing her work load and another principal did not need to be hired.

Filiciello said he was excited she was taking on the new responsibility.

“For me, personally, two of my children have gone through ECC, and from day one Dr. Flynn was there. She was always accessible, always showing great leadership.

“And one of the benefits of having an internal person take over that role from ECC specifically is she’s very familiar with all the families there because most likely if you’re in kindergarten, first, or second grade, you went to the ECC. And so that’s going to be an added bonus to her responsibilities over there because she’s going to know the kids, she’s going to know the family. And it’s going to be a great transition, and she’s the right person for the job at this moment.”

Other actions at the meeting included the formation of several new after-school clubs to keep students involved more with school, praise from board members and residents for Snyder’s long service and a promise from Filiciello that the district would be doing something special for her at the end of the year, and a preliminary discussion about possibly having an ECC graduation ceremony, putting the little ones in caps and gowns to give them a precious childhood memory.