West Essex board moves to install Dr. Kimberly Westervelt as high school principal; accepts $14,000 donation for wrestling mat

The West Essex Regional School District Board of Education on July 17 approved routine personnel motions and heard the superintendent’s recommendation to place Dr. Kimberly Westervelt in the district’s top high‑school post.

The superintendent (speaker labeled here as "Staff member") outlined Westervelt’s roughly 20‑year career in secondary English instruction and administration, noting roles as an English teacher, English supervisor and assistant principal at Montclair before she moved to West Essex where she has served as assistant principal for the last five years. "Doctor Westervelt is, is, like, your go to person, somebody that you can always count on," the superintendent said, praising Westervelt’s committee work and administrative experience.

The superintendent also recommended Amanda Forte for assistant principal, noting Forte’s 10 years with West Essex, leadership roles in school culture and safety committees, experience advising student organizations and—and in the transcript—her prior name as Amanda Fernicola. "She's somebody that has completely immersed herself in the West Essex culture," the superintendent said.

Board members offered unanimous praise for promoting from within. "It's great because we know that you have an emotional connection to the staff and to the students and to the campus and to West Essex," one board member said during remarks supporting internal promotions.

In the same portion of the meeting the board acknowledged a gift from Paul and Ann Marie Bustanti: the superintendent thanked the family for a $14,000 donation that will go toward purchasing a new wrestling mat for the district athletic program.

The personnel and finance items were presented as consolidated motions and voted on by voice; the record shows the motions carried as presented with a small number of abstentions noted for specific subitems. The board indicated it will finalize appointments according to the district’s personnel procedures.

The meeting then moved on to candidate interviews for a pending Roseland board vacancy, to be followed by executive session deliberations and an appointment later in the evening.