North Haledon board taps Warren County school administrator to lead K-8 district
NORTH HALEDON — The Board of Education has hired a school administrator from Warren County to be the next superintendent of the K-8 district.
Stephanie Bonaparte, 43, will take over for Schools Superintendent Nicholas Coffaro when he retires at the end of June. He has been in the position for nine years.
Bonaparte’s three-year contract was approved by trustees at a special public meeting. She will receive a salary of $160,000 next school year, with 2% raises in each of the following two years.
Bonaparte was drawn to the local district because of its tight-knit community, and she said it is clear the staff has laid a strong foundation for learning. “I was very excited to be chosen,” she said, “because this is a really special place.”
She is coming from one of the state’s smallest school systems.
As the chief administrator of the Frelinghuysen Township K-6 district, Bonaparte is in charge of one building with an enrollment of fewer than 150 students.
In North Haledon, she will oversee two schools with nearly 600 students.
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Bonaparte, who holds a master’s degree in education leadership from Seton Hall University, began her career as a history teacher at Wallkill Valley Regional High School in Hamburg. She was then an assistant principal and a principal at schools in Ogdensburg and Rockaway.
Lucy DeNova, the school board president, said she is confident in Bonaparte’s ability to “lead this district to new heights.” She was selected after an exhaustive search in which trustees enlisted help from the New Jersey School Boards Association and sought input through a community-wide survey.
“What made this process exceptional,” DeNova said, “is that everyone was involved and engaged.”
Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: devencentis@northjersey.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: North Haledon NJ new schools superintendent from Warren County
