Search for acting schools superintendent is well under way

GUEST OPINION

By William F. Hills
   With the departure of Superintendent Nick Lorenzetti, the Hopewell Valley Regional School District has reached another milestone along its continuing journey to educate our youth to the highest possible standards. While often unsettling, change is an integral and inevitable part of a healthy, vibrant and dynamic school system that consistently seeks to do the best for its students, community, and staff.
   During his time with the district, Mr. Lorenzetti made significant contributions to the educational welfare of our students for which we thank him. As we can all appreciate, the superintendency of a school district, especially one with the expectations we have for Hopewell Valley, is an incredibly demanding and challenging role. Mr. Lorenzetti’s decision to leave for personal and family reasons, rather than trying to "hang on" and balance conflicting personal and professional pressures, speaks to his personal commitment to putting children first. We wish him well in both his personal and professional lives.
   As a member of the Hopewell Valley Regional School Board for nearly six years and, more recently as board president, I have participated in the process of managing the changes that have characterized our district’s growth in the past several years. Despite sometimes conflicting pressures and consistent challenges, our overriding goal remains clear and unwavering: to provide the best possible education in both mind and body to the youth of the district at a reasonable cost. Guided by the district’s Strategic Plan, which helps to ensure the clarity of our shared objectives, the continuity of our day-to-day activities and the logical execution of key initiatives along with the support of our exceptional staff of administrators, teachers and professionals, I believe the district is well-equipped for this transition and the extraordinary future that lies beyond.
   Our district is truly fortunate to have an exemplary staff of professionals at all levels that are second to none. While it is a challenge that they are heavily sought after by other districts, as evidenced by the numbers of individuals who have gone on to take significant positions across New Jersey, the strength of our district continues to ensure that we are able to grow and attract top talent that can confidently move this district forward with the same pride and excellence that have come to characterize Hopewell Valley. I could not be more confident in the ability of the district’s administration and staffs to remain focused on the welfare of our children and effectively manage the district through this transition.
   The school board and administrators are well on our way in managing our transition. A search for an acting superintendent to help manage the district while we execute a deliberate and careful search for a new superintendent is well under way. We anticipate appointing someone to fill this role within the next few weeks. The district’s senior administrative management has redoubled its efforts to coordinate and govern the day-to-day activities of the district and to ensure that key initiatives and the budget process remain on track during the transition. The board has begun to draft plans to initiate a superintendent search process that will seek as much district and community input as is practical for these efforts. These plans will be announced shortly. In the meantime we look forward to the continued assistance and support of the district and community in the partnership of educating our youth.