Seeking superintendent: Residents weigh in on search

Wednesday night’s community forum at the Haddonfield Memorial High School library was not only informative but a key part in the strategic planning process.

Wednesday night’s community forum at the Haddonfield Memorial High School library was not only informative but a key part in the strategic planning process to find a new superintendent for Haddonfield schools by gathering public feedback. During the forum, residents expressed thoughts on expectations for the new superintendent as well as the board.

The forum was led by search facilitator and consultant for the school district Judith Wilson, who proposed a set of questions for those who attended the meeting regarding the values and expectations of the new superintendent.

In discussing the most important characteristics, qualities and talents that are ideal for the next superintendent to possess to best serve the district and community, residents weighed in. They expressed the desire to find a superintendent who will remain consistent and dedicated to making the schools better.

“We don’t want someone who is a job jumper,” parent Beth Glennon said, “who’s there for two years and then goes off to another school district.”

Wilson assured residents that when deciding on a new superintendent, the board will look for a candidate who is not only ready but has the intention of staying for the long-term. However, for a superintendent to achieve the goals residents have for the schools, it will take time.

“It is more the understanding that it takes five to seven years to do the good work,” Wilson explained. “It doesn’t happen in a flash.”

The expectations of the community are high for the next superintendent. Residents expressed the desire to have a leader who can grow and manage the district accordingly. Borough Commissioner John Moscatelli was in attendance as a parent at Wednesday’s meeting, voicing his expectations for the future superintendent.

“We need a strong manager, we need someone who can come in and fix it, find people that are doing the job and support them, find people who aren’t, and get rid of them and make sure everyone is doing what they are supposed to do because we have been rudderless for quite some time now,” Moscatelli said.

To ensure the success of the next superintendent, parent Tom Heine said he or she should “speak softly and carry a big stick.”

“Ninety percent of the people in this town are here for the schools. Ninety percent of the people in this town are type A personalities,” he said.

The need to have a superintendent who can speak to people while holding them accountable is a necessity, according to Heine.

Moscatelli expressed his thoughts on communication in regard to finances, asking the board, including the new superintendent, to explain to taxpayers where their tax dollars are going and hold informative and transparent discussions on how the money is being spent. As taxes rise, residents come to the commissioners with both concerns and questions that could be addressed by the board.

“The school board to a large extent, but certainly the superintendent as well, needs to be aware that, I think that in Haddonfield, 30 percent of the houses have children in the schools and the other 70 percent don’t,” Moscatelli said.

Residents, when approaching the commissioners, often ask about their tax dollars and why enrollment and school taxes continue to rise. With 55 percent of property tax dollars going to the schools and the district receiving less in state aid than surrounding districts, more comes out of the taxpayers’ pockets, which matters, according to Moscatelli.

“There’s a lot of discussion about, ‘oh, our enrollments are going up and we are going to have to build and they are tearing down houses and building more bedrooms,’ and the biggest driver of that is the school taxes,” he said. “They (residents) don’t hold back when they are talking to us.”

A familiar face echoed Moscatelli’s sentiments. Former BOE member Bob Little explained the commissioners are often left to answer community members’ concerns, saying they do “get beat up.”

“I will back the commissioner’s point. Us, as a school board, are very isolated about finance from the public, and you (Moscatelli) hear about it all of the time. We (the board) hear about it very little, and I think it would help if you were to pass some of it along to the board,” Little said.

Although the board wanted to attend, Wilson advised the board members to refrain from attending as it might lead to a more open dialogue with residents.

There are more than two dozen solid applicants for superintendent. The first round of interviews will take place in late January, as the interview process progresses. A second set will be conducted in February and March, and a final candidate will be chosen in the spring, according to a release by the board.

The next BOE meeting will take place on Jan. 25.