By Donald Gilpin

The Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE) will vote on the appointment of School District of the Chathams Superintendent Mike LaSusa as the next superintendent of PPS at a special board meeting on Wednesday, January 8 at 5:30 p.m.

Kathie Foster has been serving as acting/interim superintendent since November 2023, following former Superintendent Carol Kelley’s resignation after just over two years at the helm. Foster will continue to lead the PPS until July 1, when LaSusa will take over to serve a term of a minimum of three and a maximum of five years.

An Ad Hoc Superintendent Search Committee launched the superintendent search in August, held numerous forums, and conducted a community survey in collaboration with a search firm in the following months, and has been reading applications and confidentially interviewing candidates over the past two months.

LaSusa, who has led the Chathams district for the past 13 years, taught middle school Spanish in North Philadelphia at the start of his career in public education, then taught Spanish and social studies at Chatham High School starting in 2001, and went on to serve as high school principal and assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.

As superintendent in the Chathams, his achievements include development of a program to support students’ mental health and well-being, implementation of a later high school start time, creation of a mandatory Holocaust and Genocide Studies course at Chatham Middle School, expansion of special education programming, introduction of Chinese (simplified) and American Sign Language in grades 6-12, and investments in programs and facilities for the arts and athletics. LaSusa was named Region One New Jersey Superintendent of the Year in 2019.

LaSusa earned his B.A. in Spanish from Gettysburg College, a M.S. in secondary education from Saint Joseph’s University, and an Ed.D. from Rutgers University in social and philosophical foundations of education. He currently lives in Morris County with his wife and children.

Referendum

In what’s looking like a landmark month in the history of Princeton Public Schools (PPS), the BOE is also preparing for an $89.1 million facilities bond referendum on January 28.

When Princeton voters go to the polls on January 28, they will vote on a three-question referendum, seeking approval for: No.1, expansion and renovations at Community Park Elementary as well as Princeton High School (PHS) end-of-life HVAC replacement and upgrades at a cost of $37.9 M with an estimated annual tax impact of $222 for an average assessed home value of $853,136; No. 2, which cannot pass unless Question 1 passes, expansion and renovations at Princeton Middle School (PMS) and renovations at PHS, at a cost of $38.3M, with an estimated annual tax impact for Questions 1 and 2 of $447; and No. 3, which cannot pass unless Questions 1 and 2 are approved, expansion and renovations at Littlebrook Elementary at a cost of $12.9M with an annual tax impact of $532 for all three questions.

If all three questions pass, debt service aid from the state is estimated at $19.9M ($11.4M if only Question 1 passes, $18.5M if 1 and 2 pass).

PPS will host an In-Person Community Forum this Saturday, January 11 in the PMS Auditorium from 9 to 11 a.m., when community members will have the opportunity to hear from district leaders and consultants and to ask questions.

Building tours will also be conducted for members of the public in the coming days and weeks leading up to January 28: at Community Park on Wednesday, January 8 at 3:30 p.m.; at Littlebrook on Tuesday, January 14 at 4 p.m.; at PMS on Thursday, January 16 at 3:30 p.m.; and at PHS on Wednesday, January 15 at 6:15 p.m., Friday, January 24 at 5:30 p.m., and on Sunday, January 26 at 10 a.m.

To sign up for building tours, visit princetonk12.org/buildingtours. To learn more about the referendum visit princetonk12.org/future. Town Topics Mailbox has also recently published many informative letters about the upcoming referendum, almost all in favor of the three proposals.

In discussing the proposed expansion and renovations, the BOE has emphasized the need to accommodate a growing population, with Princeton expecting more than 1,000 additional housing units in the next few years and more growth to come.

The planned improvements are “cost-effective” and “value-based” and necessary “to continue providing students with high-quality programming k-12 and to maintain neighborhood elementary schools with optimal class sizes for learning,” the district website states. The website also highlights that PPS gets about $19.9M savings in state debt service funding if all three questions pass.

Improvements would include 23 new classrooms (including science labs), five new small-group instruction rooms, three expanded cafeterias/multipurpose rooms, a new PMS multipurpose room, an expanded elementary library, five expanded and/or renovated performing arts spaces, two new performing arts spaces, and one updated and efficient HVAC system (at PHS) — if all three questions pass.

At their Tuesday, January 7 organization meeting, which took place after press time, the BOE was expected to swear in reelected incumbent Mara Franceschi and new BOE members Ari Meisel and Christopher Santarpio, as well as Cranbury BOE representative Katherine Lara. Betsy Baglio, who chaired the superintendent search committee, and Brian McDonald, who has joined the Princeton Council, stepped down from the Board at the end of their terms on December 31, 2024, as did Cranbury Representative Robert Christopher.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the BOE was also expected to elect a new president, taking over from Dafna Kendal, and a new vice president, taking over from Baglio.

The Board is inviting the community to the Wednesday, January 8 special meeting at the Valley Road building at 5:30 p.m., with refreshments to be served afterwards to celebrate LaSusa’s expected appointment as superintendent.