New superintendent chosen

The Vernon Township Board of Education unanimously appointed Eveny de Mendez as the new superintendent at its meeting June 12.

She will start work Aug. 1. Her contract is through June 30, 2029.

Superintendent Russell Rogers announced his plans to retire in April. His retirement is effective Aug. 1. He served three years in the top post.

After the vote, de Mendez told the board, “I am truly honored and humbled at the faith and the trust that you’re putting in me to partner with you in leading this district.”

She pointed out that the strength of schools, districts and communities is “adults who show up every day.” “It’s adults who care deeply. And it is adults who never give up on the idea that all possibilities are available to all students always.”

School board president Jennifer Pellet called de Mendez “a lifelong educator and proven leader” with more than two decades of experience.

She has been assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction in the West Orange School District. “While there, she led major district initiatives, including advancing curriculum and school improvement efforts that drove measurable gains in student achievement,” Pellet said.

De Mendez also served as acting superintendent in both West Orange and Franklin.

30 applicants

Board member Carl Contino pointed out that 30 people applied for the superintendent post. The board’s hiring committee agreed that de Mendez is the right fit for the job.

”Her resume as assistant and acting superintendent of West Orange have endowed her with the skill set and experience needed to move Vernon schools in the right direction,” he said.

“Her extensive experience in establishing pre-K and ESL programs and her calm demeanor when making tough and extremely difficult decisions in the face of funding cuts makes her the perfect fit for our district.”

Pellet also praised Rogers, saying “his steady student-focused leadership has left a lasting impact.”

Also, board members unanimously appointed Carolyn Ross to fill an open seat on the board. She will serve from July 24 through Dec. 31.

Ross, a former English teacher and instructional coach, was appointed to the board in 2024, then lost her bid for election that November.

In addition, the board appointed Nicholas Demsak as acting principal and Rosemary Gebhardt as acting assistant principal of Vernon Township High School through the end of 2025.

Demsak has been assistant principal. Gebhardt is a former principal of Cedar Mountain School.

State of the district

Contino reported that the district held its first state of the district address May 28. In addition to Rogers’ presentation on the district’s strengths and achievements, the principal of each school spoke as did many students.

”We hope to make this something that happens every year,” he said.

Pellet said data show measurable improvements in reducing class sizes after the district hired new teachers for the 2024-25 school year.

The average first-grade class at Cedar Mountain School fell to 20.9 students from 25 with the addition of a teacher, she noted.

At Rolling Hills School, adding a third-grade teacher brought the average class size down to 19.4 from 25.3 students, although the temporary collapse of a section later in the year caused the average to rise to 23.9. ”That section will be restored next year,” Pellet said.

At Lounsberry Hollow School, the average fifth-grade class fell to 22.4 students from 27.4.

At Glen Meadow Middle School, the sixth-grade physical education class size fell to 28 students from 32 and the average seventh-grade math class fell to 19.9 students from 28.3.