Verona Superintendent Announces Resignation

Verona Public Schools Superintendent Charles Sampson has resigned from his position as schools chief, and will assume the role of superintendent of the Freehold Regional High School District at the end of the school year.

"I am wholly confident that we will continue to meet the goals established in our strategic plan and will remain upon the path of continual growth with the team we have in place," Sampson said in a news release issued Feb. 17.

"My time here has been incredibly rewarding on both a personal and a professional level."

He will remain in place as superintendent through late June.

Sampson came to the Verona's pre-K-12 district in 2008. He was previously principal of Cedar Grove High School.

The question of how long Sampson would remain in the district was first raised in November, when a published report revealed he was a finalist for a job in the Freehold District.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has proposed imposing a cap on superintendent salaries, which would be measured on a sliding scale depending on the size of the district, with a maximum base salary of $175,000 for districts up to 6,500 students. For districts with 10,000 students or more, a salary waiver can be granted at the discretion of the education department commissioner.

Under these proposed rules, Sampson, 39, could be severely limited in his salary growth by staying in the district if Christie's proposed cap goes into effect. Last month, a group of 600 New Jersey superintendents filed suit in attempt to block the proposal.

According to the New Jersey Department of Education, Verona's total student enrollment was 2,158 in 2009-10. Freehold Regional is a 9-12 district with an enrollment of 11,648 in the same year, which under Christie's proposed salary changes, means the Freehold district could offer Sampson as much as $60,000 more per year than Verona.

In the same news release, board of education President John Quattrocchi said "We regret Mr. Sampson's resignation. The board appreciates his dedication, determination and accomplishments throughout his time in Verona. We remain committed to our goals and will continue to succeed through the collective efforts of the board, administrators and staff and the parents and students of our community."

The board will formally accept Sampson's resignation at the March 1 public meeting. According to the board, the process for a superintendent search will be detailed to the public in coming weeks.