Middletown School Superintendent Will Retire In June, As District Prepares To Close 3 Schools

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Middletown school superintendent Jessica Alfone will retire in June, at the end of this school year.

Alfone announced this Feb. 12 in a letter to the Middletown school community. She said she is retiring from public education and will be moving into the private education sector.

Alfone still has two years left in her contract with the Middletown school district. But as long as she retires from public education — meaning she does not accept a job at another public school district — her leaving does not mean she is breaking the terms of her contract.

Alfone is leaving just as the school board, in a slim 5-4 margin, approved a proposal to shrink the footprint of the school district. Last week, the school board approved a request from administration to close two elementary schools (Leonardo and Navesink) and Bayshore Middle School. Bayshore MS will cease being a middle school and become Bayshore Elementary.

"I decided to retire before school closures were even discussed again this year," she said Tuesday. "Also, the majority of the work to prepare for these closures will be completed before June 30."

This means the Midletown school board will have to launch a superintendent search in addition to closing and consolidating three schools in the next year — a herculean task.

The past superintendent before Alfone similarly quit suddenly, and before her, Dr. William George retired after nine years as the Middletown school superintendent.

Last week: Middletown School Board Votes To Close 3 Schools: Leonardo, Navesink Elementaries And Bayshore Middle School