Interim schools chief hired

The Board of Education approved the appointment of Lydia Furnari as interim superintendent at its meeting Tuesday, July 18.

She will hold the post from Aug. 1 through June 30, 2024, and will be paid $700 a day.

At the board’s special meeting June 26, it appointed Barbara Francisco, the district’s business administrator, as acting superintendent for July.

Superintendent Alex Anemone resigned his post as of July 1 to take a job in Ridgefield.

Furnari, a West Caldwell resident, has served as an interim superintendent in Verona, Lafayette, Green Township and most recently in the Somerset Hills School District in Bernardsville. She was appointed to that job in February.

She was superintendent of the Franklin Lakes Public Schools from 2014 until her retirement in November 2018. She has been an adjunct professor at Caldwell University since 2012.

Furnari earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees as Montclair State University and a doctor of education degree at Nova Southeastern University in Florida.

On Tuesday, board members accepted the resignations of:

• High school math teacher John Holland.

• Ashley Baumgartner, a kindergarten teacher at Upper Greenwood Lake (UGL) School.

• Cynthia Ranieri, a media specialist at Westbrook and Marshall Hill schools.

They approved these appointments:

• Cheri Orlando as a media specialist districtwide at an annual salary of $101,100. She replaces Ranieri.

• Karen Anoll as a board-certified behavioral analyst districtwide at an annual salary of $90,800.

• Dwight Weaver as a music teacher at the high school at an annual salary of $67,400. He replaces Doug Heyburn, who retired.

• Anna Aiello as a special-education teacher at the high school at an annual salary of $62,000.

• Julia Pliskin as a special-education teacher at Macopin Middle School at an annual salary of $62,000.

• Timothy McClurg as a science teacher at the high school at an annual salary of $61,600.

• Cara Murray as a graphic arts teacher at the high school at an annual salary of $59,900.

• Kimberly Heiner as a kindergarten teacher at UGL School at an annual salary of $57,800. She replaces Baumgartner.

• Randi Platt as the principal’s secretary at UGL School at an annual salary of $51,600.

The board also approved the high school band’s trip to England and Scotland from April 19 to April 28.