They accuse the school board of a "secretive" process that favors an outside hire.
The Phillipsburg school board may be poised to hire someone from outside the district as its next superintendent, according to the teachers union angry that its preferred in-district candidate is allegedly not being considered.
A letter to members of the Phillipsburg Education Association accuses the board of blocking input from staff and residents from the selection process in favor of an unnamed political influence.
The union is telling faculty, alumni and parents to attend Monday's scheduled board meeting to show support for Assistant Superintendent Greg Troxell, the former high school principal that the PEA favors for the district's top job.
"His qualifications, his collaboration ... his vision for the district, his rapport (with teachers, students and parents), it's unparalleled," PEA President Greg Babbitt told lehighvalleylive.com on Thursday.
Troxell did not return calls for comment Thursday. School board President Tom McGuire declined to respond to the PEA's allegations.
Time is a factor
Phillipsburg Superintendent George Chando is retiring at the end of June. (Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com) Phillipsburg's current superintendent, George Chando, informed the board last summer of his intention to retire when his contract expires at the end of June. The 63-year-old started as a teacher in the district in 1975 and worked his way through the ranks until he was named superintendent in 2012 with a five-year contract.
The district advertised the open position early this year and received at least 10 applications. School board officials involved with the selection said Thursday that the list has been narrowed down to three candidates, but could not say if one of them would be recommended at Monday's meeting.
The school board needs to find a replacement soon if a full-time hire is to be in place July 1. It is customary for administrators to provide 60 days notice to their current employers.
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So far, Troxell is the only candidate to be publicly identified. He is a 1990 Phillipsburg High School graduate and has more than two decades of experience working in the district, both as a teacher and administrator. He became the high school principal in 2009 and assistant superintendent in 2015.
The Phillipsburg School District has about 3,500 students and this school year opened a $127.5 million high school in Lopatcong Township.
'Zero input'
In his letter to union members, Babbitt derides the school board for what he called a "clandestine" process.
"The board's committee is allegedly recommending an outside candidate for hire. This recommendation comes with zero input from any employees in the Phillipsburg School District," he wrote. "You were purposely silenced in the superintendent selection process."
The PEA alleges the board extended the application deadline for a preferred candidate, who is not identified in the missive. It also accuses a "political influence of a (singular) special interest" of having "infiltrated" the board via campaigns, under a deal that asks board members "deny the best candidate the seat they have earned."
Babbitt declined to name a source for this information.
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Though there is no guarantee of any action or discussion by the board about the selection process at Monday's meeting (scheduled to begin 7 p.m. at the elementary school, 525 Warren St.), the PEA is encouraging staff, students, parents and others to attend and support Troxell for the superintendent position.
Despite the alleged conspiracy, Babbitt said the rest of the board can still be swayed.
"We believe our input should be valued," he said. "It should weigh heavily on the board."
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.