Kinnelon Superintendent to Retire in May

The Kinnelon Board of Education officially accepted on Monday night the resignation of Superintendent James Opiekun, after 10 years of service, effective May 31, 2012.

During public participation, Borough Councilman Gary Moleta praised Opiekun.

“I'd like to thank James Opiekun for his years of service,” Moletta said. "He and the board's leadership have improved the environment. Thank you for your hard work."

Board Vice President, Keith Dama, said salary caps likely factored into Opiekun's decision.

"If the salary caps had not been put in place by the governor, this probably would not have happened, and Jim would not be offering his resignation,” Dama said. “In fact, he has a contract that extended by default many years out, but he would have taken a significant salary reduction. I mean, that’s hitting all the districts.

Dama said Opiekun helped stabilize the district.

“We have a lot of stability in the district at the administrative level that we did not have before,” said Dama. “[Opiekun] gets involved in most of the hiring decisions of the staff that we have. Whether it’s arts or athletics or academics, you know he’s been involved, building the staff through hiring and training, and there have been so many accomplishments."

Dama said the district has expanded and is in good financial health.

“We expanded the high school. We expanded Stonybrook. We expanded Pearl Miller through multiple referenda," he said. "We implemented the referenda under budget and were able to use the extra money for appropriately-related extensions of what the referenda was approved for by the voters.

"We went from where our budget was in the red when he came here, and we’re up to over $700,000 in surplus," Dama said. "We have had a positive surplus every year for the last ten years, so we’re very healthy financially, our facilities are improved and we're and in good shape."

Board President Margaret Zybrick said it is a very sad day.

“You know retirements are always positive, but I think the impact of Jim's retirement is really significant,” she said. “It goes past all the things he’s done. It’s his character, his policies, the manner in which he conducts himself, how he responds to the community."

Zybrick praised Opiekun’s knowledge.

"He’s just a brilliant man,” she said. “He knows education, policy, procedure. He’s selected some of the finest administrators to be part of our district. He came at a time where we were really struggling. There was little faith in the Board of Education because of the fiscal crisis. He came into a fire and he put it out, and has kept it that way." 

Zybrick discussed Opiekun's leadership.

“He’s a gentle man but he’s also a good leader because he leads by example,” she said. “Jim never asks anyone to do anything he himself has not done or would not do. It’s an open-door policy. I don’t think a parent or a child has ever felt they couldn’t go to him.

Zybrick mentioned past controversies.

"Even when we’ve had controversies, like when we had the drug testing issue, he knows how to keep it all together and be reasonable, and things never get out of hand," Zybrick said. "He’s proactive. He doesn’t react. That’s the best thing. He’ll be missed.”

Opiekun said the timing is right for him to leave.

“I can say, first of all, that I’m leaving reluctantly, but I think there’s kind of an intersection of events in my life and in my profession,” Opiekun said. “I think, even at the Trenton level, that just makes it time, so it’s just feels like it’s the right time."

Opiekun hopes to leave a legacy.

“I have tremendous affection for Kinnelon," he said. "I’ve really treasured the time that I’ve been here. When you look back, you just hope that, on leaving, people feel that it’s a better place for you being there. That’s really what I hope my legacy is.  

Opiekun said things are changing for administrators.

“I’ve been a superintendent for 25 years, so I’ve kind of worked my way up through the career ladder,” he said. “I think what’s really missing now is that, at the Trenton level, there’s really no value for experience. It’s going to be kind of a new era in school administration." 

Opiekun said he doesn’t have a specific plan.

“This is the first time in my life I don’t have plans,” he said. “It’s a little unsettling, but looking at options and trying to figure out the next step is definitely going to be something that I really want to do.

"I don’t feel any pressure to do something that I don’t want to do, Opiekun said. "I’ve been working my whole life. You get to the point where you just need to do something. There are a lot of projects that I put on the back burner for years that will be fun to get to.” 

He called Kinnelon the "capstone of his career."

“It’s been a long time, but it’s been a short time,” Opiekun said. “We’ve accomplished a lot. I met some wonderful people. I’ve met some wonderful students. And our staff — compare our staff with any staff in the state. When you put that all together, it’s really been the capstone of my career, and I just treasure the time I have here.”