Verona resident Guy Whitlock was named Hillsborough School District's new assitant superintendent of personnel at Monday's board of education meeting.

Whitlock is currently serving as the director of special services for Montclair schools. He has also served as principal of Mt. Hebron Middle School, in Montclair, where he taught Social Studies and Language Arts in the 1990s.

Whitlock brings more to the position than an educational background, however: he holds a JD from New York University Law School, and worked for about 10 years in law, including a stint as an attorney for the Toys 'R' Us corporation.

He was accompanied to the meeting by his wife, Toni, and son, Kendal.

Whitlock takes over the job being vacated by Scott Rocco, who has been named superintendent at Spotswood Public Schools. Whitlock's salary was set at $155,000 annually, to be pro-rated based on his starting date.

Whitlock won't be able to start until he is either released from his current contract by the Montclair Board of Education, or on Feb. 18, after giving 60 days notice. The board approved hiring Andy Rinko as an interim assistant superintendent at a rate of $475 per day, which board member Judy Haas objected to.

"I see no reason to pay $475 per day; I see no reason to pay for 60 days," she said.

Human Resources Committee Chairman Christopher Pulsifer said the 60-day time span is the maximum possible with Whitlock giving notice of his intentions this week, and the rate is the current daily rate paid for the position, the standard method for determining temporary employees' pay.

As for the need for an interim assistant superintendent, Pulsifer pointed out the district in the middle of implementing the new teacher evaluation system, as well as other critical projects.

"We did not feel we could afford to not have somebody in this position taking care of all this work," he said.