The Cliffside Park Board of Education on Dec. 18 accepted the retirement of Mary Foster, a middle-school counselor, effective June 30, 2025, the board heard. Interim Superintendent Dr. Hayes presented 35 personnel resolutions for the meeting, including hirings, resignations, leaves of absence and one retirement.

Dr. Hayes said the board was being asked to accept Foster’s retirement pending the effective date and described Foster as “as good as elementary school and middle school guidance counselors come.” Board member Mister Nedru recalled Foster’s long service and praised her work with students, saying Foster had been “a guidance to my siblings and to countless other students.”

The personnel slate presented included professional development appointments, teacher and lunch-aide hirings, six leaves of absence, five resignations and one retirement; the board accepted the retirement resolution with regret and conveyed best wishes for Foster’s retirement. The meeting transcript does not specify the mover or seconder for the retirement resolution or a roll-call tally for that specific vote in the excerpt.

The personnel resolutions were introduced during the superintendent’s report segment of the meeting. No additional details about replacement hires or timelines for filling Foster’s position were specified during the discussion.

The board concluded the superintendent’s report by wishing the community a safe holiday season and moved on to finance and facilities items later in the agenda.