George Rafferty replaced interim superintendent Sharon Vitella
In 2016, the Mt. Laurel School District saw a new face in charge of day-to-day operations when in February the BOE approved the hiring of Superintendent George Rafferty.
Rafferty replaced interim superintendent Sharon Vitella, the district’s regular director of curriculum and instruction, who had been serving in the role of superintendent since the resignation of Antoinette Rath the previous summer.
Rafferty’s decades in education began as a teacher in Pennsauken Schools in 1990, after which he served as a school counselor in Gloucester Township, then returned to Pennsauken as a school psychologist, then became a supervisor in the Somers Point district.
Rafferty later served as director of special education in Haddon Heights schools for the three years, after which he was appointed superintendent for the Tabernacle school district, which was the position he held for almost five years before joining Mt. Laurel.
Rafferty graduated from Hahnemann University and Holy Family College with a degree in special education. Rafferty also has a master’s degree in school psychology, an education specialist’s degree from Rowan University and a certificate of advanced study for administration.
Upon joining Mt. Laurel, Rafferty praised the district and said it was the only position to which he had applied when thinking about leaving Tabernacle.
“I’m so honored to be able to come on board, and I’m filled with optimism and hope and positive attitude in terms of what we’re going to be able to do here together … and like I said, I’m grateful to become part of that,” Rafferty said upon his hiring.
