Washington School Board names John J. Szabo as the new district superintendent.
By: Lauren Burgoon
WASHINGTON After a search spanning several years and dozens of candidates, the school district finally found its new superintendent.
With unanimous school board support and a hearty round of welcomes, John J. Szabo, the current Waldwick schools superintendent, was named to the school district’s top job April 5.
Dr. Szabo, 53, will take over as superintendent July 1. He signed a three-year contract with a $150,000 annual salary.
"I was going to say that I was pleased to be here tonight, but you know, that doesn’t cut it. It’s an understatement," Dr. Szabo said after his appointment. "Actually I’m ecstatic because I’m thrilled to be here. I’m looking forward to becoming not only part of the Washington Township School District but a part of Washington Township."
School board members were equally enthusiastic. David Pethybridge, the school board president, called Dr. Szabo the "total package."
"The district is very fortunate to have him join us," board member Michele Siekerka said, adding that she admired his past experience and enthusiasm for the job. "He’s a team-builder. That was evident throughout the interview process."
Dr. Szabo is stepping into Washington schools with a 30-year history in education at almost every level. He earned a doctorate in education and master’s degree in administration and supervision from Seton Hall University and attended The College of New Jersey for his bachelor’s degree. Dr. Szabo also spent time attending school and teaching in England and traveling around Europe.
He currently serves as the superintendent of the 1,500-student Waldwick school district in Bergen County, a post he’s held for six years. Prior to that he was a principal at Bloomfield High School, assistant principal at Manalapan High School, English supervisor at Marlboro High School and an English teacher at Freehold Township High School.
All that high school experience is exactly what the school board was hoping to find when it began searching anew in October. Board members indicated that they wanted a superintendent with a strong high school background to start Robbinsville High School off on the right path.
"I’m really looking forward to the challenge of opening a new, and I think magnificent, high school," Dr. Szabo told the board. "I’ve been there and I know it’s truly magnificent."
Dr. Szabo said he is a firm believer in working with the community, which he concentrated on during a successful middle school construction referendum in Waldwick. He also set up community groups featuring different factions of Bloomfield residents during his tenure there.
While principal in Bloomfield, Dr. Szabo started a new program that allowed students to complete their last year of high school and first year of college simultaneously through satellite technology.
That kind of experience impressed board members, Mr. Pethybridge said. He said the board’s preference for Dr. Szabo was heightened during a district visit, where several board members and officials met with Dr. Szabo’s colleagues and learned firsthand about his work at Waldwick.
Dr. Szabo said he has the same admiration for Washington’s schools and staff. He visited the schools here and met with staff members during the interview process.
"I have been extremely impressed with staff members whom I have met, and I look forward to developing an inclusive approach to planning and problem solving," he said. "Given what I have seen to date in Washington Township, I am certain that we will see excellence in a proud and positive school system."
Washington’s search for a new superintendent has been a long and sometimes frustrating endeavor.
The last permanent superintendent left in August 2003 and interim superintendent Kenneth Hall came onboard. He agreed to stay on through two failed searches until this last search, when the school board hired a private search firm in October for $12,000.
Forty-seven candidates applied for the position this time around and the board interviewed six finalists before settling on Dr. Szabo after multiple rounds of interviews with the school board and a "stakeholders group" that included community and staff members.

