GoFundMe launched for family of late Montclair Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Ponds
A GoFundMe has been launched to help support the family of Montclair Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Ponds, who died on Friday.
The fundraiser, started by Tessie Thomas of Montclair and shared on social media by the township's PTA groups, had collected over $60,000 of a $150,000 goal as of Friday afternoon.
"Dr. Ponds went above and beyond as Superintendent with a laser sharp focus on every child’s success in Montclair. He was a lifelong learner and encouraged everyone around him to be the same. To that end, his wife Jenna is going to start a college fund for the three boys, 10, 12 and 14 and we are supporting with the logistics," the GoFundMe states.
There will be a memorial tribute service planned for Ponds on Friday. The ceremony will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at St. Paul's Baptist Church on Elm Street, the district announced on its website. The service will also be livestreamed on the church's website at www.stpaullive.org.
Ponds joined Montclair during the COVID-19 pandemic after serving as superintendent in Moonachie for five years. Prior to that, he was principal at Parsons Elementary School in North Brunswick from 2012-15.
Ponds earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina, a Master of Education degree from Cambridge College in Massachusetts and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership at Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: GoFundMe launched for family of late Montclair superintendent Ponds
