School chief's salary private

PHILLIPSBURG | A week after Mark B. Miller agreed to become Phillipsburg School District superintendent, local and state officials still could not say Tuesday whether his pending contract is public information.

The Express-Times on Tuesday filed a request under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act with the Warren County Department of Education to obtain the contract.

Donald Souders, attorney for the district board of education, has denied requests to review the contract. He said until the county department reviews the document, it is unfair to discuss the terms publicly in case they are altered after the department's review.

District officials said the contract had been sent to the county at the end of last week, but as of Tuesday afternoon the department had not received it.

Interim county schools Superintendent Thomas Gross said even if the information were available, he was uncertain he could disclose it, citing public records laws.

Kathryn Forsyth, spokeswoman for the state Government Records Council, which administers the act, said Tuesday that Gross' explanation may hold some validity.

Forsyth said she would examine OPRA's reach concerning contracts under county review, but advised The Express-Times to pursue an open records request in the meantime.

Miller accepted the district's offer Aug. 11. He plans to leave his post as superintendent of Newton, N.J., schools before taking over in Phillipsburg.

He confirmed Thursday his contract with Phillipsburg includes a four-year tenure in the district.