Vernon school board names new superintendent

VERNON — The Vernon Township School District officially hired its new superintendent of schools at Thursday night’s Board of Education work session.
Karen D’Avino signed a contract that is scheduled to go into effect on Tuesday, Sept. 18 and last until June 30, 2022.
She will replace Art DiBenedetto, who retired earlier this year after being at the center of several controversies, including swearing, and ignoring state laws regarding drug testing.
He also faced backlash when he recommended Pauline Anderson to be principal of Vernon Township High School over the school’s then-Assistant Principal Nancy LoPresti.
Assistant Superintendent Charles McKay served as Acting Superintendent since DiBenedetto retired.
Board of Education President Brad Sparta thanked him for doing double duty saying McKay made the last five months better than the first four.
D’Avino has been the superintendent of D’Avino has been superintendent of Barnegat Township School in Ocean County for the last seven years.
"I have dealt with some of the issues you have faced over the last couple of years,” D’Avino said at Thursday’s meeting. “I’m excited to take some of my experiences and bring them here. The thing I am most excited about is to collaborate."
D’Avino thanked the board and said she had been excited about the possibility of leading the Vernon school district with each interview.
"When you elect the board, you elect them to be reflective of your needs as the community,” D’Avino said. “I was really pleased at the questions that were asked. I thought they were really in sync with what I knew of Vernon."