Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Acting Superintendent Appointment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Asbury Park board appoints Edwin Ruiz as acting superintendent amid $7M budget shortfall
Summary
The Asbury Park Board of Education voted March 26 to appoint Edwin Ruiz as acting superintendent through June 30, 2026, approving a contract with a $215,000 prorated salary. Ruiz pledged to address an urgent multi‑million‑dollar budget gap while prioritizing students; the finance chair presented a tentative budget showing an approximate $7 million deficit.
The Asbury Park Board of Education voted on March 26 to appoint Edwin Ruiz as acting superintendent from March 26 through June 30, 2026, after the board attorney said the county executive superintendent had verbally approved the contract.
The appointment was announced at the meeting and approved by roll call. Board members discussed key terms: a salary of $215,000, prorated for the appointment period, and administrative handling of the director of curriculum duties, which the written contract does not explicitly address.
Ruiz addressed the board and community after the appointment, thanking members and saying he is honored to serve. He identified himself as the district’s longtime director of curriculum and instruction and said he has more than 30 years in education. “I am deeply honored and humbled to be here with you tonight as the newly appointed acting superintendent,” Ruiz said. He added, “I will not let this moment define us. We will define how we respond to this moment.”
Ruiz emphasized the district faces a “significant budget challenge” with limited time left in the school year, and said his role is to provide stability while the board continues the search for a permanent superintendent. He described priorities including transparency, collaboration, and centering decisions on students’ interests.
At the same meeting the finance committee chair and state monitor presented a tentative budget that the board is expected to adopt as final at a May 6 public hearing. The tentative budget, the presenters said, reflects roughly a $7 million deficit driven by higher employee health‑care costs, increased charter school payments, energy price increases, and the loss of certain one‑time state incentives. The finance chair said enrollment is 1,220 students and outlined potential avenues the district is studying to reduce expenses and stabilize finances.
The board indicated it will pursue additional analysis, including a facilities and operations review expected in mid‑summer, and said any formal policy changes would come back to the board in public session.
