Board returns principal to middle school

SOUTH RIVER — After a month and a half on administrative leave, Middle School Principal Richard S. Sternberg returned to his position on Monday.

The Board of Education voted unanimously Jan. 28 in favor of a resolution for Sternberg’s return; however, the decision calls for withholding his salary increment for the 2010-11 school year. The decision to return him brought a round of applause from a handful of middle school teachers and staff who attended the meeting.

“The board can render a decision in the future to reinstitute the increment,” said Superintendent of Schools Ronald Grygo.

The superintendent said the board held a closed session during its workshop meeting on Jan. 25 to discuss the matter before voting on it Jan. 28.

“All I can say is the board rendered a decision and considered all the evidence fairly,” Grygo said, stressing that he could not go into further detail about the decision due to the privacy rights afforded to Sternberg.

The middle school principal was placed on administrative leave Dec. 14 after questions surfaced about how he handled the Dec. 10 finding of two .22- caliber bullets in the middle school. A borough police officer also was placed on leave.

A middle school student found the bullets in a hallway and they were brought to the attention of Sternberg around 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 10. Sternberg stated in a report to school officials and police that he believed the police had left the bullets at the school during a simulation drill, which the police occasionally conduct there after hours.

On Dec. 11, the elementary and middle schools were briefly locked down and then evacuated. Grygo and Police Chief John Bouthillette have said they found out about the bullets on the morning of Dec. 11.