Matawan-Aberdeen Regional superintendent takes top schools post in Edison
By JENNIFER BRADSHAW • STAFF WRITER • November 5, 2010
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ABERDEEN — Richard O'Malley, superintendent of schools for the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District, is leaving to take the superintendent job in the Edison school district.

The contract with Edison Township Public Schools spans Feb. 7, 2011, through July 1, 2015, "or earlier, if O'Malley becomes available," according to the agenda.
O'Malley will be paid $210,000 to oversee the more than 14,000-student Edison district, according to a letter from Edison school board president Gene I. Maeroff posted on the Edison schools website on Nov. 5.
"The salary is guaranteed through June 30, 2012. After that, he will be eligible for annual raises of up to 2 percent until his contract expires on July 1, 2015," Maeroff said. "He will also be eligible for annual performance bonuses of up to 2 percent, which would be one-time payments that would not become part of his base salary."
His current salary as superintendent of Matawan-Aberdeen schools is $185,000.
The governor's planned salary cap for superintendents in districts larger than 6,001 students is $175,000, but that is negotiable, depending on the size of the district.
Maeroff said that O'Malley's salary was approved by the Middlesex executive county superintendent.
O'Malley was appointed as superintendent of the Matawan-Aberdeen district in February 2008 after serving as chief administrator of the Mountainside School District in Union County.
During O'Malley's time as superintendent, the 2009 school budget became the first to pass at the polls in seven years, and the 2008-09 school year was the first year in which the district was completely free of No Child Left Behind sanctions since the law went into effect.
There was also drama in July 2009, when the board of education approved sizable raises for O'Malley, business administrator Sue Irons, and former assistant superintendent Joel Glastein, who has since retired. The raises were met with some scorn from the community.
O'Malley declined comment on Friday.
Jennifer Bradshaw: 732-643-4223; jbradshaw@app.comThe Home News Tribune contributed to this report.