The search for a new superintendent for Cherry Hill Public Schools has begun, and the board of education is looking to the community for input.
The Cherry Hill Board of Education is working with the New Jersey School Boards Association to begin the search for the school district’s new superintendent. Superintendent Maureen Reusche will resign effective July 1 to take over as superintendent in the Haverford Township School District in Pennsylvania.
On April 22, the board met with Gwen Thornton, a representative from the NJSBA, to begin the search process. The board has since established a timeline and hopes to have a new superintendent working in the district by November or December.
The board is looking for the community’s input on what it’s looking for in the new superintendent. In an email, public information officer Barbara Wilson said the board has released surveys and public input sessions to allow the Cherry Hill community to have a voice in the process.
Surveys for staff members, students and community members are available at www.cherryhill.k12.nj.us/superintendentsearch. The surveys touch on topics such as the strengths of the school district, what are the most important issues the district will face in the coming years, and what background personality traits the community would like to see in the new superintendent. The board is asking for surveys to be completed by June 15.
The district is also having two community focus groups in early June to allow residents to voice their opinions on the superintendent search. The focus groups will take place on Wednesday, June 3 at 7 p.m. in the board room at the Malberg Administration Building and June 9 at 1 p.m. in the tech lab of the administration building. Focus groups are also being held for staff members and high school students. Staff and students interested in more information on those fates need to contact the public information office at (856) 429–5600 ext. 4325 or [email protected] for more information. The New Jersey School Boards Association is hosting the information sessions. There is no registration required to attend.
After receiving feedback from the community, the board will review applications and interview candidates through the summer. The board plans to select a finalist in September or October and have a contract finalized later in the fall.
The school district is also planning to name an interim superintendent prior to July 1 to fill in for the beginning of the 2015–16 school year. The school district will continue to provide updated information on the superintendent process on the school district’s website, www.cherryhill.k12.nj.us.
