Haddon Township Man Appointed Haddonfield Schools Superintendent

HADDONFIELD, NJ — A Haddon Township man with a long history with Haddonfield schools has been named the new superintendent for the Haddonfield Public School District.

Charles Klaus was appointed to succeed Dr. Lawrence Mussoline at the April 30 Board of Education meeting, the district announced. His appointment is effective July 1.

Mussoline resigned on March 12, and the job was posted internally. Klaus became Acting Assistant Superintendent since Michael Wilson took a medical leave in June 2018. He became permanent Assistant Superintendent in May 2019.

“The Board got to know him not only as a hard worker, but also as someone who shares our vision of the future,” Haddonfield Board of Education President Adam Sangillo said. “We are confident that Chuck will lead us in the right direction to best serve our students, families, faculty, and staff.”

As Assistant Superintendent, Klaus assumed the enormous task of bringing the district into compliance with QSAC, the state monitoring process from which Haddonfield had been exempt for nearly 10 years.

The district was “out of compliance” in four out of five areas, and Klaus and committees of faculty and administrators had to address issues in fiscal, instruction, personnel and operations.

Between January 2019 and February 2020, Klaus and his committees set about fixing these areas, such as rewriting the curriculum for every subject and every grade level.

The state has not yet responded to the district’s report following these fixes due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but the district expects the state to confirm that it is in compliance (80% or higher) in all five areas.

Klaus came to Haddonfield as an English teacher in August 1994 after teaching for seven years in Maple Shade. He advanced to English department facilitator in 2004, and became the high school’s Assistant Principal in 2008.

After a one-year post as Principal of Central Elementary School, Klaus returned to the Haddonfield Memorial High School as Principal in 2011.

“I had the pleasure of working with Chuck for one year as the Dean of Students,” Haddonfield Memorial High School Principal Tammy McHale said. “He is extremely knowledgeable and practical, and he has an innate ability to always put students first. I was extremely lucky to have him as a mentor and even luckier to consider him a friend.”

Klaus coach the Haddonfield Memorial High School wrestling team from 1993 through 2009. He was the District 28 Coach of the Year four times and won more matches than any other coach in school history.

He was the Assistant Director of Carl Adams summer wrestling camp for 27 years and also served as a coach for Haddonfield track and cross-country programs.

For six years he served on the Executive Committee of the NJSIAA (New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association) and was president for the 2017-18 school year. Klaus was inducted into the South Jersey Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011.

“Chuck cares deeply about Haddonfield: our students, our staff, and our families,” Haddonfield Memorial High School English teacher Corinne Welsh said. “He knows how to navigate our systems, and he works carefully and creatively to ensure things run as smoothly as possible. I'm glad he will be at the helm during this challenging period.”

Klaus raised three children who attended Haddonfield schools.

“My journey back and forth across the district to where I am now has caused me to view my responsibilities to my students with several different lenses,” Klaus said. “Although each step has moved me further from the joyous days of working side-by-side with students, I am grateful that my administrative roles allow me to impact the academic, social, and emotional growth of more and more Haddonfield students.”