Brentwood Board of Education hires new superintendent

The Brentwood Board of Education has not renewed the contract of superintendent Donna Jones and has hired Joe Bond, a middle school assistant principal, as the new superintendent of Long Island's largest school district.

In a 4-2 vote with one abstention during a meeting at the end of June, the Board of Education approved a three-year contract for Bond. An assistant principal for two years at South Middle School, Bond has worked in the district as an educator for 16 years. Jones' three-year contract expired June 30.

The move has upset some in the community who said removing Jones, the first woman and only African-American to serve in the district's top position, was a mistake. Jones was named superintendent in July 2007 after serving as the district's director of business services and earned a salary of $200,000 per year. Earlier this year, she negotiated a contract with the 1,400-member Brentwood Teachers Association where the union agreed to give up next year's raises as well as take temporary pay cuts.

"Donna Jones is cited for moving the district forward over the last three years by having the high school now on a national honors list, three middle schools removed from the New York State needs-improvement list, a successful bond program . . . and much more," said Pastor Roderick Pearson, president of the Islip Town NAACP.

Pearson said the district did not use a search committee to find a new superintendent but school officials said the search process was a personnel matter and could not comment.

Jones was unavailable for comment. Bond, board president George Talley and other board members also referred calls to district spokesman Rick Belyea, who said the district followed proper procedure iand will soon post Bond's credentials on the district website.

"It is a very emotional issue. There were a lot of people who liked Donna and anytime you let an employee go, there are people sad and upset about it," Belyea said. "It's time to rally around this new school superintendent, start off with a clean slate and move the district forward."

Pearson said he plans to contact state and federal education authorities regarding the board's action. He also said Bond owns a bar in Brentwood where Talley has held campaign fundraisers.

District officials said Bond had been a co-owner of the bar but divested himself of ownership prior to his appointment. They confirmed that fundraisers had been held there for board members but said the bar has hosted other events as well.

Belyea said the district is confident Bond will be able to "relate his outstanding people skills and solve problems and be proactive as he continues as superintendent of our school district."

The Brentwood district educates about 16,000 students and has an annual budget of about $304 million.