Changing Of Guard Taking Place On West Orange School Board

WEST ORANGE, NJ — A changing of the guard is taking place on the West Orange Board of Education, with an outgoing board member getting a congratulations for his service this week, and an incoming board member set to be sworn in next month.

During their meeting on Monday, the board took a moment to recognize Gary Rothstein for his “exceptional service to the West Orange community.”

According to a statement from the school district:

“During his term, Rothstein and the rest of the board were tasked with several unexpected challenges, including a pandemic, hiring a new superintendent, compliance issues, the establishment of a pre-school program, and replacing former Superintendent Dr. Scott Cascone following his resignation in April, 2022. The board subsequently hired Dr. Lauren Schoen as Interim Superintendent and Hayden Moore, former Principal of West Orange High School, as Assistant Superintendent. Moore will assume full-time responsibilities as Superintendent in September, 2023.”

“It has been an honor to serve on the Board of Education and to advocate on behalf of our students and community,” Rothstein said.

“I’m proud to have helped manage our district through the COVID years, to have helped further the cause of diversity, equity, and inclusion, to participate in re-writing our district’s policies, and to hire our interim and new superintendent,” Rothstein continued.

“West Orange is a beautiful place to live with outstanding public schools,” he added. “We have much to be grateful for.”

Robert Ivker – who captured a seat on the board in the 2022 general election – is scheduled to be sworn in as the newest board member in January at the reorganization meeting.

• See related article: Candidates Claim Victory In West Orange (2022 Election Results)

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