MANVILLE: Superintendent shows faith in students

By Gene Robbins, Managing Editor
    Making a difference has always been important to Manville Schools Superintendent Johanna Ruberto.
    Her family’s tradition of giving back was continued Tuesday night when the Board of Education accepted her donation of $400 as a scholarship for a graduating high school senior.
    “My goal is to show one child that their superintendent believes in them,” she said Monday. “I can put a couple of dollars on the line to say ‘I have faith in you.’”
    She said she and her siblings, who will be making donations near where they live, she said, were taught to give back.
  She has made similar donations every year since 1995, both in Manville at previous employers, like Bound Brook, she said.
    Dr. Ruberto has announced her retirement, effective Aug. 1. She has been at the helm of Manville’s schools since July 2009. The board is undergoing a search for her replacement.
    When she announced her retirment, Board President Heidi Alles said Dr. Ruberto’s leadership had helped make Manville schools “a close-knit, dedicated little family that works hard as a team.”
    “I think it’s important to be recognized appropriately for what you do and see,” she said. “I want to make one student fell really good about themselves.”