Morris Schools Superintendent Mackey Pendergrast Stepping Down

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Mackey Pendergrast will step down from his role as superintendent of the Morris School District. Pendergrast will leave the district Nov. 7 and retire from New Jersey public education.

"While I look forward to the new opportunities in my professional future, this moment is certainly bittersweet," he wrote Monday in a letter to the school community. "Serving the Morris School District has been the highlight of my career in public education, and I will miss working for and with this beautiful community."

The Board of Education will share more information next week on the process for selecting a new superintendent, according to a district spokesperson.

A news release from Morris schools touted several of Pendergrast's accomplishments in his six-plus years as superintendent. Achievements during Pendergrast's tenure include growth in student achievement and participation, a "significant" increase in honors and AP enrollment, and elimination of graduation gaps among all demographic subgroups for students in the district for three or more years.

The district has faced turbulence navigating the pandemic. While Pendergrast has received praise for his approach, some parents last year pushed him to accelerate the district's reopening timeline.

He also faced pressure from parents at July 26's Board of Education meeting who wanted the district to commit to eliminating a mask mandate for the fall. Pendergrast said he would wait for guidelines from health officials as the school year approached. New Jersey has since re-instituted masking for all in K-12 schools.

Pendergrast began his career in public education as a high school history teacher and basketball coach before transitioning to guidance counseling and then administration. He served as director of staff development in the West Morris Regional High School District for six years before becoming its superintendent for four years.

In 2015, Pendergrast landed his dream job as superintendent of Morris schools. He recalled telling his wife that an opening for chief school administrator in the district would be the opportunity of a lifetime, giving him a chance to apply leadership skills and investment in public education in a historically diverse community.

Board of Education President Melissa Spiotta praised Pendergrast after he resigned.

"He has established an enduring legacy for the Morris School District through the programs, policies and systems he worked so hard to implement," Spiotta said. "Most significantly, he created a mindset here that will enable us to weather the transition and maintain our great successes. But we will miss his brilliant mind, magnanimous spirit, and witty humor for sure.”

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