New Superintendent Appointed In Central Regional School District

BERKELEY, NJ — The Central Regional School District will enter into a new era on Jan. 1, 2024, when their new superintendent officially takes over.

Michelle CarneyRay-Yoder comes to the district after more than five years as superintendent of the Somers Point School District.

Her appointment was nearly unanimous by the Board of Education, with Heather Koenig and Merissa Borawski abstaining.

CarneyRay-Yoder - better known as "Dr. Cry" - said that the interview process was "like playing a basketball game when I was in college," but it was still a "fantastic experience."

"I'm excited to be a part of the Central Regional family," CarneyRay-Yoder said.

CarneyRay-Yoder, a native of Egg Harbor Township where she still lives in the house she grew up in, comes with a lengthy list of qualifications and experience that made her stand out to the Board, said Board President Denise Pavone-Wilson.

She is currently the president of the Atlantic County Association of School Administrations and was named the 2022-23 Atlantic County Superintendent of the Year.

Before Somers Point, CarneyRay-Yoder served as a principal and director of special education in the Margate School District.

She said this experience, including a stint working at an alternative high school for the severely emotionally disturbed, helps her to look at the bigger picture and make sure all of the students' needs are being met.

With a learning disabled brother and an autistic stepson, this is something CarneyRay-Yoder is passionate about and part of who she is, she said in an interview after the meeting.

Another passion of hers is school culture, she said. The superintendent spot only opened after previous superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides resigned in the wake of controversy following the bullying and suicide of 14-year-old Adriana Kuch. Read more: Ex-Central Superintendent's Resignation Approved By School Board

She said she creates a positive environment for her "stafulty" - staff and faculty - where no one is more important than anyone else. Everyone from cafeteria staff all the way up to the superintendent is on the same level, CarneyRay-Yoder said.

"We're all one family," she said. "We're all the same team."

This will trickle down to the students, she said.

"I just really believe it's all about building a family and supporting our teachers to support our students," CarneyRay-Yoder said.

As a welcome gift, CarneyRay-Yoder was presented with a gift basket of Central swag by Central Regional Education Association President Ron Donnerstag.

There was also two pounds of saltwater taffy in the basket, which he said holds a special meaning. Every town that sends students to Central has saltwater, but there's more to it than just that, Donnerstag said.

It's a lot like the district's students and staff, he said.

"Sometimes it takes a little bit of effort to get inside when you're trying to reach a student, when you're trying to get to know somebody," Donnerstag said. "Saltwater taffy can be pretty hard to open sometimes, too. But what it is, is once you make that goal, we know that once you reach that student, the reward is worth it as well."