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Schools

Public Offers Input Into Kinnelon Superintendent Search

Kinnelon BOE and NJSBA host public input session.

Members of the public were invited to attend a special session hosted by and the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) as the district begins its search for its

Several residents were willing to offer their input as the district looks to replace veteran superintendent Jim Opiekun, who is on May 31 of this year.

Joe Kobylarz, a Kinnelon resident, would like to see a superintendent come in who is already seasoned and who has the intention of serving in the position for an extended period of time.

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“I would prefer an older person with experience that’s going to stay here for a period of years, whether it be five or ten years,” said Kobylarz. “I personally don’t feel that we should get a 'climber,' and to me that’s very important. I don’t want a person to come in for five years and do all this stuff so they have a resume.”

Other members of the public cited knowledge of the district as being very important for the new superintendent.

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“I’d want to see someone from the district that is already knowledgeable about the district,” said Councilman Gary Moleta.

Added former Kinnelon Mayor Glenn Sisco, who was also present at the meeting, “I would prefer somebody who knows the district. It’s better to have (a superintendent) that knows what’s going on than having to teach someone. Whoever it is is going to have a learning curve.”

Overall, the residents in attendance seemed to want a superintendent who keeps the educational aspects of the district moving forward, even in difficult economic times, something that Kobylarz credited as a strength of the district.

“The other thing that goes along with it is that the educational system heading in the right direction,” said Kobylarz. “It’s not just lingering and it’s not heading downward and I think that’s a big positive for our district.”

Joanne Borin, a field service representative with the NJSBA, was on hand to explain the superintendent selection process to the public, as well as to collect criteria that the public would like to see used during the search.

“People gave input tonight and that will be shared with the board of education and a criteria profile will be developed. Based on the criteria from the community, from the staff, from administrators and from the board, we will get a criteria profile,” said Borin. “So far, what I have heard from the community is very similar to what I’ve heard from the board and to what I’ve heard from the administration. It’s wonderful; it’s really wonderful.”

Borin stated that any prospective applicants have until Feb. 3 to request an application, which they will have to submit within the following two weeks by Feb. 17. The board will then decide which candidates to interview and the interviews will begin in March and carry into April. Borin also stated that the district hopes to have a contract offer on the table to one of the candidates by May 1.

Borin does not anticipate any problems for Kinnelon to find a successor to Opiekun, and hopes to have that person’s term as superintendent begin by July 1.

“Thank goodness there are the people out there who have the desire and drive to be a superintendent,” said Borin. “It’s a very difficult job.”

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