WW-P administrator picked to head Hopewell Valley’s Toll Gate

Dan Umstead: ‘I feel this role is a perfect fit to my past career experiences.’

By Olivia Tattory
   The Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education has hired an assistant elementary principal from the West Windsor-Plainsboro (WW-P) Regional School District to head Pennington’s Toll Gate Grammar School next year.
   Dan Umstead, assistant principal of the Dutch Neck Elementary School in Princeton Junction, will succeed Toll Gate Principal Myra Bugbee, who is retiring Aug. 1. He officially will begin work here Sept. 1.
   In recommending Mr. Umstead for the $115,000-a-year position on Monday, Superintendent Judith A. Ferguson called him "especially suited for Toll Gate Grammar.
   "His experience in a high-performing school with a similar curriculum and community involvement will serve him well," said Dr. Ferguson. The impending vacancy drew more than 100 applicants, said Assistant Superintendent Richard Lang.
   The search for a principal began in May, with a committee focused on seeking out the perfect fit, said Dr. Ferguson. The district offered interviews to 11 highly qualified candidates, eight of whom accepted, she added.
   Mr. Umstead expressed great excitement at the school board’s meeting Monday night, and pledged to do his best for the Toll Gate community.
   "I feel this role is a perfect fit to my past career experiences," said Mr. Umstead. "I am very excited to take the role of principal and to begin working with teachers, families and most importantly students."
   Mr. Umstead, 41, has served in the administrative team at Dutch Neck, a K-three school of more than 700 students, since 2003. For the past year he has also served as the test coordinator for the district’s six elementary schools.
   A Philadelphia native, Mr. Umstead began his career there, in the city’s public schools, teaching pre-first, third and fifth grades at the George Clymer School. In 1996 he was hired by WW-P and, over the next five years, taught fourth grade at the district’s Village and Upper Elementary, now known as Millstone River, schools. From 2001 until 2003 he served as the district’s elementary science supervisor and twice presented workshops at national conventions of the National Science Teachers Association.
   Mr. Umstead called Toll Gate "renowned for its efforts in creating a child-centered learning environment.
   "I recognize and appreciate the importance that a school’s climate plays in its success," he said. "I know that when children feel comfortable, safe, and affirmed, they flourish. I look forward to working with all members of the Toll Gate school community in this regard, in honoring the school’s rich and unique history, and working toward the future."
   With approximately 322 students, Toll Gate Grammar is less than half the size of Dutch Neck.
   Mr. Umstead has a master’s degree in educational administration from Rider University and a bachelor’s degree in elementary and kindergarten education from Penn State University.
   He lives in Yardley with his wife, Erica, an adjunct professor in the education department at Rider, and daughters Madeleine, 6, and Elena, 2.
   Ms. Bugbee has served as Toll Gate Grammar principal since 2002. She is retiring from New Jersey public education Aug. 1 and is planning a move to Florida.
   Ms. Bugbee replaced Richard Fitzpatrick, who left Toll Gate Grammar to become principal of Stony Brook Elementary, when it opened in Brandon Farms. Dr. Fitzpatrick recently was appointed superintendent of Upper Freehold Regional School District.
   While at Toll Gate, Ms. Bugbee led several programs and home-school initiatives, including the opening of Howe’s Habitat, the school’s outdoor classroom, and Family Nights.