Lawrence school district hires new superintendent
LAWRENCE » There’s a new schools chief in town.
The Lawrence Township Board of Education has hired Dr. Ross Kasun as the district’s new superintendent of schools effective Sept. 1.
Kasun, who currently serves as superintendent of the high-performing Freehold Township School District, brings with him a wealth of experience as he prepares to hit the ground running as the new face of Lawrence Township Public Schools.
“I am honored and humbled to be selected as your superintendent,” he said in a prepared statement. “Throughout this process, I have been incredibly impressed with the Lawrence Township School District, and I am committed to build on the great work that has been accomplished.”
The Lawrence school board began its search for a new superintendent earlier this year due to Dr. Crystal Edwards, the former schools chief, retiring from the district effective March 30 to begin working in her higher-paying superintendent job in Virginia.
In May 2016, the Lawrence Township Education Association drafted a letter revealing that a majority of LTEA members supported a vote of no confidence in Edwards’ leadership. Over a year later, Edwards announced she was retiring from Lawrence Public Schools and heading down south to work in the Lynchburg City Schools system.
“My decision was based on what is best for my family,” Edwards told The Trentonian last December in an email. “My husband and I are looking forward to moving closer to our oldest daughter in Virginia and his parents in North Carolina.”
The Lawrence school board in February awarded a $22,900 contract to Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates to help the district find a permanent schools chief and tapped Dr. Andrew Zuckerman to serve as acting superintendent in the interim.
Numerous candidates threw their hat in the ring, hoping to get appointed as the next superintendent of Lawrence Township Public Schools. There were 41 applicants, of which six were interviewed by the school board’s Superintendent Search Committee, district officials said Thursday in a news release, adding the board ultimately reached a consensus that Kasun “would be the best candidate to lead the district.”
Kasun is currently serving his seventh year as superintendent of the Freehold Township School District. He is expected to soon resign from that job to take over the reins in the Lawrence Township Public Schools system.
The Freehold Township and Lawrence Township school districts both have approximately 3,800 students enrolled and are both considered “high-performing” districts, but the difference is that Lawrence educates students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12 while Freehold Township educates students in grades pre-K-8.
A New Jersey public schools educator since 1995, Kasun will earn $196,584 per year as the new superintendent in Lawrence Township, according to district officials. That is about 5 percent higher than the $187,812 that Kasun currently earns as the outgoing Freehold Township schools chief.
The New Jersey Association of School Administrators last year named Kasun as 2017 NJASA Superintendent of the Year, a prestigious honor that helped distinguish him from the competition.
“Dr. Kasun stood out among the field of candidates for his experience as an educational leader, strength in collaboration, passion for education, and proven track record in making student-focused decisions that support academic success,” Lawrence Board of Education President Kevin Van Hise said Thursday in a press statement. “We believe that Dr. Kasun will be a visionary leader and a great match for our students, staff and community.”
The school board held a special meeting Wednesday and unanimously appointed Kasun as superintendent. He resides in Middletown in Monmouth County and earned his doctorate in educational administration and supervision, authoring a dissertation on servant leadership, according to Lawrence school officials.
“Creating learning experiences focused on the growth of every student is my passion,” Kasun said in his prepared statement. “I was attracted to the diversity of this community, and I look forward to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to provide every student with an exceptional educational experience.”
The Lawrence school board will host a 6 p.m. Aug. 29 meet-and-greet in the Lawrence High School Commons so families, staff and community members may meet the new schools chief.