Edward Rarick is Lehighton Area School District’s next business administrator following a 5-4 school board approval Monday night.

Rarick’s contract will run through June 30, 2024. He will earn $110,000 for his first two years, with the first year prorated from now until June 30, 2021. The contract calls for a $2,500 raise in his third and fourth years with the district.

Voting in favor of Rarick’s hiring were Wayne Wentz, Rita Spinelli, Stephen Holland, Larry Stern and Nathan Foeller. David Bradley, Richard Beltz, Gail Maholick and Joy Beers were in opposition.

Bradley said he disagreed with the board only receiving resumes for the two finalists and not the other six people who applied for the position.

“I firmly suggest tabling this at this point,” Bradley said before the vote. “The board did not create or ask the questions for these interviews and there was a lack of transparency in the process.”

Superintendent Jonathan Cleaver said six people were brought in for first-round interviews, which were conducted by an administrative interview committee. Board members were allowed to watch interviews with the two finalists, all of which were conducted virtually.

Foeller said he was pleased with the hiring process.

“Our administration does the job we ask them to do,” Foeller said. “They brought who they felt were the best candidates to us for review. They allowed us to watch the final interview. I was happy with the interviews conducted and the recommendation.”

Past practice is that the administration conducts interviews and presents a recommended candidate to the board. Cleaver said because it is a business manager position, the board was invited to watch interviews with the finalists.

Before the vote, Beers called for an executive session to discuss the interviewees.

During Monday’s meeting, Bradley suggested interview questions, many of which he called “fluff,” were leaked ahead of time. He admitted to calling one of the candidates after the interview to ask them if they received any questions in advance, which did not sit well with Cleaver.

“You sit here and accuse us of giving out questions and you know that isn’t true because you called a candidate and asked them,” Cleaver said to Bradley. “You’re so inaccurate and the fact that you sit here and suggest that to the community is very unfortunate. To pick up the phone and call a candidate like that is completely unprofessional and inappropriate conduct.”

In July, previous business administrator Patricia Denicola announced she was leaving Lehighton to take the chief financial officer spot in the Boyertown Area School District.

Lehighton then approved an agreement with the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials to supply an interim business administrator, Joe Surridge, at a cost of $62.50 per hour, not to exceed 20 hours per week.

“It is evident we need a business manager to oversee some of the issues consistently going on,” LASD resident Gloria Bowman said before the vote. “If this was the best candidate based on the interview process, then I would suggest the board hire him so we can move forward with necessary documents and financial needs for district.”

Rarick, who lives in Lehighton, has a degree in business administration and management from Bloomsburg University and was facilities manager for Sherwin Williams. He coaches youth baseball and basketball in Lehighton.

Cleaver said Surridge would still be available on a limited basis to help with Rarick’s transition into the role.

“He’s new,” Holland said. “He’s fresh. He sounds like a very good person, but he has to have someone to help get him going.”