The Moorestown Township Board of Education thanked Interim Superintendent Dr. Leonard Fitts for his leadership at its Nov. 16 meeting.
Fitts has been interim superintendent since July; his last day will be Dec. 17. The board named Michael Volpe the new superintendent at its Oct. 19 meeting. He will take the helm on Dec. 20.
“We brought you in to help the community heal and I feel like you really have brought that to us,” Board President Caryn Shaw said of Fitts. “Although your time was short (here), your impact was great.”
Fitts commended school staff and parents.
“Your kids are in a good position with the staff and with the leadership here,” he noted. “They’re safe and they’re being taught well. I (also) want to thank you as a group of parents who have been (extremely) patient and understanding as we’ve had to work through so many challenges,” Fitts added.
“Continue to stay focused.”
On the board’s agenda was a retirement recognition for Nancy Gonteski-Borborema. She was a school bus driver in the district for 20 years before her retirement on Nov. 1.
Board member David Weinstein also announced the hiring of two bus drivers.
“(As) we have additional drivers come in, which we talked about last month as well, it’ll help us be able to avoid (those) cancellations, because we’ll have (more) drivers available to cover others,” he explained.
Board member Mark Snyder gave an update on the Nov. 2 curriculum committee meeting.
“The first (thing) we talked about was (just) sort (of) a general Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and mental-health update on the student and staff population,” he said.
“The Upper Elementary School (UES) is using a new curriculum this year called Character Strong which is being implemented in the extended homeroom that exists every day,” Snyder added. “The ultimate hope is that if successful, this program will … flex both down to the K through 3 level, but also up through William Allen Middle School (WAMS) as well, depending on how this year goes.”
Moorestown Education Association President Lisa Trapani closed public comment by also praising Fitts.
“We have felt your support over these last five months,” she said. “We appreciate your time, dedication and thoughtfulness. It has made a difference for (the) staff and (the) students.”
