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Ramapo Indian Hills Board Votes on Third Superintendent Candidate Amid Controversy

Ramapo Indian Hills High School

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Oakland NJ,the Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education voted 5-4 to submit a draft contract for a third superintendent candidate to the Bergen County Office of Education for review. This decision comes after a series of contentious meetings and the earlier rescinding of a contract for a previous candidate.

Background and Recent Developments

The board initially hired Ronnie Tarchichi on May 28, agreeing to a $1.9 million, five-year contract. However, this contract was rescinded on June 27. A second candidate was under consideration during executive sessions on July 1 and July 11, but no action was taken. Details of the third contract have not been made public, and the names of the second and third candidates remain undisclosed.

The Vote and Internal Disputes

The regular session vote was marked by significant internal disagreement. Board Vice President Marianna Emmolo described the search as a “perfect process” with many qualified candidates. However, Trustees Tom Bogdansky, Aaron Lorenz, and Helen Koulikourdis opposed the third candidate, calling them “unqualified.”

“Why has the process we used for both candidates one and two changed for candidate three?” asked Bogdansky. “This lack of consultation not only undermines the principles of transparency and accountability, but also diminishes the legitimacy of the decisions made.”

Koulikourdis further accused Board President Kim Ansh of violating the Open Public Meetings Act by consulting board members about the contract by telephone, stating, “We were not part of the negotiations, we were not part of this contract. It’s an OPMA violation.”

Ansh defended the process, saying, “Board members can say whatever they want in public, we went through the process, the person is highly qualified. There were five members of the board who delayed our hiring a search firm. The same board members are trying again to delay the process, and that’s not what’s best for the district.”

Voting Results and New Regulations

Five trustees, including Ansh, Emmolo, Melissa Kiel, Doreen Mariani, and Audrey Souders, voted in favor of submitting the third contract draft. The remaining four trustees—Bogdansky, Koulikourdis, Lorenz, and Brian DeLaite—voted against it.

Ansh announced new county regulations requiring two public votes on superintendent contracts: one to authorize the submission of a draft contract and another to approve the specific agreement with the named candidate.

Accusations and Defense of Acting Superintendent

During the meeting, audience members accused acting Superintendent Melissa Quackenbush of inserting herself into the superintendent search process, allegedly seeking to be named assistant superintendent. Former Franklin Lakes grade school Trustee Margaret Bennett presented documents indicating that previous interim Superintendent James Baker and Tarchichi had refused Quackenbush’s request.

DeLaite expressed his concerns about the potential creation of an assistant superintendent position, stating it would be counter to the district’s economic and academic needs.

The majority of the board defended Quackenbush, with Souders thanking her for her dedication and hard work in improving the district.

Next Steps

The Illinois-based Hazard Young Attea Associates search firm, which facilitated the search process, has not responded to requests for comment. The board’s next meeting, where proposed curriculum changes will be discussed, is scheduled for Aug. 25.

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