O'Connell named to lead Freehold Borough schools
Board president: Candidate's experience in district was important
BY DICK METZGAR
Staff Writer

Liz O'Connell

FREEHOLD - What a difference 14 years makes.

Liz O'Connell said that when she was hired in 1992 to bring computer technology into the Freehold Borough School District, she had no idea that someday she would be the superintendent of that district.

But that's exactly what happened.

At its meeting on May 22, the Board of Education promoted O'Connell to the district's top administrative position effective July 1.

O'Connell has been serving as interim superintendent since being appointed to that position in early March. That appointment will run through June 30. She was appointed to replace Philip J. Meara, who was named the superintendent of the Lawrenceville School District in Mercer County.

O'Connell, 52, confirmed that she was awarded a three-year contract at $120,500 per year.

O'Connell's role in bringing computer technology to the district, her familiarity with the curriculum and student body, her key involvement in administrative matters and her awareness of the challenges and issues facing the district were factors in her being selected from more than 30 candidates for the superintendent's position, school officials said.

Over the years her job has evolved from technology coordinator to supervisor of the program to director of technology.

Speaking about O'Connell's promotion to superintendent, board President James Keelan said, "She had all the qualifications for the job. She has been playing a key role in decisions made by the administration in recent years. We started with 30 candidates for the position, cut that down to six and then to two. We felt that her experience in the district made her the most qualified. She has been involved in the implementation of the future of the district. She has hit the ground running in helping the district determine its future."

O'Connell, who was born in Bergen County, has lived in Howell since 1986. She and her husband, Brian, have two children, Megan, 23, and Daniel, 18. She currently serves on the Howell Board of Education. She previously served on the board for six years in the 1990s.

O'Connell is a graduate of Rider University, Lawrenceville, and earned a master's degree in computer science from Iona College, New Rochelle, N.Y. She has been employed in the field of education for 25 years.

O'Connell is an adjunct professor at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, where she teaches technology. Before coming to Freehold Borough, O'Connell taught in the Cherry Hill and Middletown school systems.

The borough school district has approximately 1,400 students in prekindergarten through eighth grade. The district is comprised of three schools, the Park Avenue Elementary School, the Freehold Learning Center elementary school and the Freehold Intermediate School.

O'Connell said the most immediate issues facing the district are overcrowded facilities, the 2006-07 school year budget and a construction referendum that has been defeated by voters twice in the past six months. The referendum sought $7.8 million to fund improvements aimed at easing overcrowded conditions.

The school board's proposed $15.6 million budget for 2006-07 is presently under review by state education officials after voters rejected a $7 million tax levy and the Borough Council decided not to certify a tax levy.

In 1998, O'Connell played a role in a 50-member committee made up of residents and school personnel that was successful in getting voters to approve a multimillion dollar referendum that funded additions to district facilities.

"We still must deal with that [overcrowding] problem," she said.

O'Connell said language has become an increasingly important issue to be dealt with in the district, as many students now come from homes where English is not the primary language.

"We need to be expanding our world language program, but we just don't have the funding to do that at this time," she said.