The Bayonne Board of Education approved a new five-year contract for Superintendent of Schools John Niesz, as well as a preliminary budget of $154,839,001 that will come with a one percent tax increase, this week.
Niesz, who was first hired back in June 2019, now has an agreement that will run between July 1st, 2021 and June 30th, 2026 following a 6-0(2) vote by the board.
Trustees Ava Finnerty and Pamela Scalfene abstained, while Trustee Denis Wilbeck was absent for the vote (he showed up late).
“Thank you: it’s an honor and a privilege and we still have a lot of work to do. We have to finish this year strong, finish it smart, and finish it safely. Thank you,” the superintendent said after the vote.
Niesz’s salary will start at $230,458 at the second half of this year and top out at $249,683 for the 2025-2026 scholastic year.
The meeting, which lasted just over an hour, also saw the board approved the first draft of their budget, a $154 million spending plan that will come with a roughly one percent tax increase.
Their proposed tax levy is $70,451,920, up $697,544 from last year. The spending plan was approved unanimously (9-0).
