By MADDY VITALE
After a year as interim Ocean City High School Principal, Dr. Wendy O’Neal got the official nod Thursday night to lead the school on a permanent basis.
The Ocean City Board of Education approved a resolution to make O’Neal the high school principal effective July 1. Her salary will be $143,000.
O’Neal has been the interim principal since the spring of 2022, when longtime high school principal, Matthew Jamison, retired. O’Neal started in the district in 2015 in the role of assistant high school principal.
“I’m very excited for what is to come and to keep things moving in a positive direction with outstanding faculty,” O’Neal said in an interview. “We love the kids.”
Schools Superintendent Dr. Matthew Friedman, who was hired in July, said he had to learn about the district and how it works before he could make any recommendation about who would best fit the position of high school principal.
“It was very important for us to bring someone on that was not only a perfect fit, but would help elevate the administrative team. And as it turns out, throughout the whole process, Dr. O’Neal remained acting principal,” Friedman said. “I soon realized the perfect fit was here all along.”
During public comment, former School Board President Patrick Kane said he was pleased with the board and the superintendent’s decision to select O’Neal.
“I have never heard a student in all the interactions speak negatively of Dr. O’Neal, and I think when you have that type of support, it really speaks to who you are,” Kane said.
Kane spoke of how O’Neal brings strong leadership and works tirelessly with positive energy.
“Thank you for all you do for the students of Ocean City. We are extremely fortunate to have you here,” he said.
School Board members also congratulated O’Neal. They spoke of how she has led the district during difficult times through the COVID-19 pandemic and was a constant force needed during the uncertain time.
In addition to O’Neal, the board approved Michael Pellegrino as the district’s new athletic director effective March 1 at a salary of $128,500
Pellegrino has been the interim athletic director while then-Athletic Director Geoff Haines was out on medical leave. Haines retired effective Feb. 1, leaving the position open.
Pellegrino worked in the district from 1996 to 2009, then left to join the Egg Harbor Township school district. More than a decade later, he returned to Ocean City.
“I have only been here since July, and I am yet to find someone with more Ocean City spirit than this person,” Friedman said. “Mike Pellegrino has a passion for Ocean City I truly have not seen in too many people.”
Pellegrino said in an interview after the meeting that he has a lot of positive things planned for the student athletes, including possibly some community-minded projects.
“I am excited to be back,” he noted. “I wanted to return to Ocean City for a long time.”
School Board members welcomed Pellegrino to his new position and said that he is a positive influence who will continue to lead the high-caliber athletes to do great things.
Each month, students in the primary, intermediate and high schools are selected for best of the month for certain character traits they have exhibited.
Students in the intermediate school were selected based on showing respect, and students in the primary school were chosen who stood out for showing kindness. In the high school, students who demonstrated standout characteristics were also highlighted.
In other matters, Ocean City resident Dave Hayes brought up student test scores, noting that the scores are low.
“Last month, I spoke on the poor results from the 2022 New Jersey Student Learning Assessments,” he said while addressing the board.
“For any measurable change to occur, there must be awareness and acceptance of the problem,” Hayes said. “While there has been some discussion in the curriculum committee about how the school district can meet learning gaps at the individual level, there has been no mention of the fact that our district is off course academically and has been for some time.”
He continued, “To get this ship back on course, we need a superintendent and administration who will fight for our students and their academic success by developing and executing a plan now to get our student achievement scores back on track.”
The school board and administration did not respond to Hayes’ comments during the meeting.
