School employees in Middlesex County could receive $1,000 retention bonuses as officials work to keep staff for the upcoming school year. The plan would cover all returning employees for 2026-2027, using a mix of state and local funding without asking for additional county money. About 55 percent of staff qualify for state-funded bonuses under standards approved by former Governor Glenn Youngkin, while the rest would be paid locally. The proposal comes as the district warns it is struggling to stay competitive on pay, even as budget talks remain on hold pending final state funding decisions.
ED HISTED
Ed launched his radio career in 1975 and has spent more than five decades in the broadcasting industry. During that time, he has served in a wide range of roles including Air Personality, News Director, Sales Manager, Operations Manager, and General Manager at numerous radio stations in various markets across the country. Beyond on-air and management responsibilities, Ed has also worked extensively on the technical side of broadcasting. His background includes RF engineering and information technology, with particular experience configuring digital automation systems and remote voice-tracking platforms used by stations across the country. Ed was also among a select group of industry professionals invited by Google to its California headquarters following the company’s acquisition of Scott Studios. He was one of just 12 broadcasters nationwide chosen to participate in discussions and provide input during the design and rollout of Google’s digital broadcast automation platform. Although the majority of Ed’s career—spanning roughly four decades—was rooted in music radio, he transitioned into news and information programming in 2012. He says the move into spoken-word broadcasting was a natural evolution after decades of experience in multiple areas of the industry.