Accomplished Assistant Superintendent to Leave Middletown in April

It was a goodbye Mr. Stefankiewicz moment.  At last night’s Middletown Township Board of Education meeting, Board President Michael Donlon recognized the district’s assistant superintendent of curriculum for landing a new, top job in his old district.

“Jim Stefankiewicz has accepted the position of superintendent of the district,” noted Donlon as he pointed out that Stefankiewicz was sitting in the audience of the meeting. “You will be greatly missed. We wish you the best of luck.” Stefankiewicz modestly nodded his head and smiled to the applause that followed.

For the past 18 months, Stefankiewicz has been a part of Middletown’s upper echelon of administration. But Red Bank is where he came to Middletown from, as its very popular high school principal (from 2006 to 2009), and it is where he will return in April to take the top district spot as superintendent.  The Middletown board, in fact, approved last night his early April 1 departure.

By all accounts, Red Bank is thrilled to have him back and Middletown is sad to see him go.

While he will be taking a pay cut, Stefankiewicz, who lives in Ocean Township, will preside over a smaller district. 

His salary for 2010-2011 in Middletown, according to Donlon, is $156,143. There, he supervises all instruction and curriculum for what is the largest school district in Monmouth County that comprises 17 schools with 10,400 students and 900 staff members. He also plays an integral role in the development of the district’s roughly $140 million budget, including handling union negotiations.

His annual salary in Red Bank will be $147,500. He appointed to the spot with a three-year contract.

“Mr. Stefankiewicz submitted his letter of resignation last week … ” Donlon said before the meeting. “During his time in Middletown, Jim has been extremely valuable, and is a true expert in curriculum and instruction.” 

Red Bank Regional Board of Education President John Garofalo said last week the board is “delighted to bring Jim back to lead our district. He knows the district well and is highly regarded by our administrators, staff and parents. His time at Middletown has also given him great experience as a lead administrator in a very large and complex school district. We know he will do an outstanding job for RBR.”

According to a released statement, Stefankiewicz was hired in Middletown to rework curriculum in its two high schools. In his year and a half there, his accomplishments were highlighted as: his implementation of innovative Freshman Academy programs; and thorough grant to help offset budget cuts. For instance, “he was successful in assisting Kean University in obtaining a Math/Science Partnership Grant for Middletown and brought in neighboring school districts including RBR and the Red Bank Charter School,” the release said.

Stefankiewicz has a history of success that dates back to when he started his career in Union County as a social studies teacher for its Magnet High School for Mathematics, Science and Technology in Scotch Plains. There he was named Teacher of the Year and received the NJ Best Practice Award in Social Studies. He became principal in 2003. Under his leadership at Union County the school was recognized as a New Jersey Governor’s School of Excellence, A New Jersey Star School and No Child Left Behind—Blue Ribbon School.

At the meeting, Stefankiewicz just quietly observed and did not speak. But, in a released statement, he had said, “I had a great experience in Middletown. I worked with many outstanding educators and students. I learned so much from them. But, in the end, I could not pass up the opportunity to come back to a place that has meant and continues to mean so much to me.”