School bus super slated to be transferred in July

BY DANIELLE MEDINA
Correspondent

BRICK TOWNSHIP - For the second time in less than two years, the school district's transportation department supervisor has resigned.

William Nardiello, who took over the top job in the transportation department in Aug. 2005, voluntarily agreed to be transferred to another position within the department, effective July 1, school officials said.

Nardiello's specific duties will be determined no later than April 5, according to a motion passed by Board of Education members at the Jan. 18 board meeting.

"The transportation committee is looking at his expertise and efficiency to put him in the place where he can perform his best," said board member John Talty.

Nardiello is a member of the Brick Township Association of Non-Certified Supervisors and Administrative Secretaries, known as the Unit - a small group of employees who are not in the district's teachers, administrative or transportation unions.

Other positions in the unit include the cafeteria director, buildings and grounds supervisors and maintenance supervisor.

"Bill is a long-time employee in the district," said Superintendent Thomas L. Seidenberger. "There's a place for Bill in the district."

Nardiello's transfer comes shortly before the findings of an audit of the district's transportation department are slated to be released in early March.

Board members hired Transportation Advisory Services (TAS), a New York-based consulting firm in November to conduct a full-scale audit of the department, after they received numerous complaints from parents at the start of the school year.

Parents complained about the lack of steady drivers, an unresponsive transportation department and said that buses arrived late to school at the start of the school day.

Talty, who is the chairman of the board's transportation committee, said that the audit would look at routing, sports runs and improving the overall efficiency of the department.

TAS has already completed a bulk of the audit and the firm was expected to observe the district's operation and review routing this week, Talty said.

He declined to comment on whether he had any indication as to the findings of the audit.

Back in Aug. 2005, Nardiello's predecessor, William Coyle, also resigned from the supervisor position in the transportation department.

Coyle, who spent a little more than a year on the job, left the district to accept a position at the Murphy Bus Co. in the Lakewood school district.

Barbara Wylie was the district's transportation coordinator for 28 years, prior to Coyle and Nardiello.

Nardiello could not be reached for comment for this story.