Superintendent Recruiter: 'No Margin For Error' in Finding New Schools Chief

Time is of the essence and there’s “no margin for error” according to Dr. William Librera, the man hired to recruit top candidates to step in as the West Morris Regional High School District’s next superintendent.

At an open forum held at Black River Middle School in Chester, Librera addressed the search he was conducting, asked, and answered questions for 10 members of the public from the Mendhams, Chesters, and Washington Township.

Librera told the group, which was joined by board of education members Gary Lakritz, Marcia Asdal, and Brian Cavanaugh, he’ll be presenting candidates to the board in May, with the potential of two interviewing sessions being made available by the full, nine-member body.

“The May interviews is a good start,” Librera said, “but that still comes with a lot of ‘ifs.’ There is a possibility of having a new superintendent in place by the end of the summer or September 1.”

As he sifts through a candidate pool, Librera told the group he believed the percentage of qualified candidates applying for the position was very high, a concern shared by community members as both West Morris Mendham and West Morris Central continue to rise in regional, state, and national standings.

“There are very few [schools] in New Jersey that offer IB and AP, and actually do it well,” Librera said.

The last two superintendents – current schools chief Mackey Pendergrast, and Anthony diBattista before him – were hired from within. Both began their careers in the district as teachers and worked their way up to the top spot.

Pendergrast announced his resignation in late February, just shy of three years in position. He’ll be leaving West Morris Regional on May 31, and assuming the same role at the Morris School District on June 1.

West Morris Regional has an assistant superintendent in Robert Beers, a position created after Pendergrast’s hiring. When the position was created, the district eliminated two other administrative positions, one of which was formerly held by Pendergrast.

Librera noted time was as much a factor as candidate qualifications, saying that leaving the role unfilled going into the school year causes many issues, including a smaller applicant pool.

The West Morris Regional Board of Education’s next meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 27 at 7 p.m., and will be held at Mendham High School.