New principal starts

FARRAH MAFFAI staff Principal James Hickey has much on his “to do” list since taking over.

at O.B. High School

James Hickey will

oversee consolidation

of high school campus

BY SUE M. MORGAN

Staff Writer

OLD BRIDGE — A newly promoted principal is now walking the halls and commuting between the high school’s two campuses.

James Hickey took over as the principal of Old Bridge High School effective Dec. 17, one day after he was officially promoted to that post by the district’s Board of Education.

With the board’s unanimous approval, Hickey advanced to the top spot following nine months as a vice principal at the high school’s East campus.

He replaces Christopher Traficante, who resigned as principal effective Dec. 15 to take a similar post at Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin, Ocean County.

Hickey holds a doctorate of philosophy degree in educational leadership, administration and policy from Fordham University in New York. He also has a master’s degree in education and a bachelor’s degree in political science and history, both from Wagner College in Staten Island, New York.

Before coming to Old Bridge last spring, Hickey worked as assistant to the principal/academic team at St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School in Staten Island.

During his nine years at that school, Hickey appropriated various school budgets, supervised curriculum and instruction, recruited, supervised and evaluated faculty and prepared grant proposals, according to materials released by the Old Bridge district.

Hickey also has taught advanced placement courses in American and comparative government and politics, American history, and sequential mathematics. In addition he coached varsity swimming at the Staten Island high school.

It is anticipated that Hickey will oversee the forthcoming consolidation of the East and West campuses into one centrally-located campus in the fall of 2005.

The district is now in the process of adding a ninth grade wing to the East campus. That construction is part of the district’s $66 million building referendum that is designed to consolidate the two campuses.

When completed, a projected 3,000 students in grades nine through 12 will be housed at one location, district officials have said.

Now, ninth and 10th graders attend classes at the high school’s East campus while 11th and 12th graders are housed at the West campus.

Since that arrangement began in the 1990s, students have been bused between the campuses, which are just over a mile apart on Route 516, to participate in sports, musical programs and other extracurricular activities.