At the latest meeting of the Evesham Township School District Board of Education, Superintendent John Scavelli made what came to many as a surprise announcement that he will be retiring from his position effective Feb. 1 of next year.
“It is with mixed emotions that I submit my retirement resignation letter this evening. As superintendent, I have had the privilege to work with several courageous and supportive board members, an outstanding student-centered administrative team and a dedicated group of teachers and support staff that have the best interest of students as their priority,” said Scavelli in his resignation letter addressed to Board President Joe Fisicaro.
In his letter, Scavelli went on to reference facing challenges and obstacles over the past several years and the pride he takes in the fact that he and the board were able to move their educational system forward in spite of these setbacks.
“Probably the most significant challenges that we have faced over the years stem from the loss of state aid funding which began in 2010 during my first year as superintendent,” said Scavelli, elaborating on the reference made in his letter.
Scavelli would not comment on whether any of the aforementioned challenges or obstacles contributed to his decision to retire.
He plans to work with the board as much as possible during the next few months to ensure a smooth transition.
“As with any opening, the district will need to advertise and interview to fill the position. We will meet with the board leadership to aid in that process and to set a timeline,” said Scavelli.
“The board is going to be discussing it relatively soon, we’ll probably have to start addressing that within the next month,” said Fisicaro.
The board president indicated the process will likely be slowed by the fact that the board is facing an election in November with three members up for re-election.
Despite the timing, Fisicaro says the board will be taking the selection process very seriously and will not make decisions lightly.
“This is the most important thing that a school board does,” said Fisicaro. “Hopefully we’ll be collaborative and we’ll work together to figure this out and we’ll go from there.”
According to Fisicaro, the board received only 24 hours notice before the official announcement at the meeting.
“It was a shock when we heard it. We weren’t expecting it but we understood it. Being the superintendent is a pretty rough job,” said Fisicaro. “I believe in the state of New Jersey the average superintendent is around for like five years, roughly, so it was surprising but understandable.”
Having stuck with the district for 10 years, Fisicaro says he believes Scavelli has earned his retirement. Throughout his tenure as superintendent, according to Fisicaro, they maintained a great working relationship. He described Scavelli as “honest to a fault.”
“John and I were always able to see eye to eye on a lot. It wasn’t that we agreed on everything, it was that (through) our conversations we were able to really hash things out and have meaningful conversations, which sometimes is rarer than you think,” said Fisicaro.
Although his time leading the Evesham district will be coming to a close, Scavelli indicated he will continue to work full-time, most likely in an “education-related capacity.”
Looking ahead, Scavelli seems hopeful for the future of the district he will be retiring from and confident in the abilities of its administrative team and teachers.
“The school district has an outstanding administrative team, dedicated teaching staff, and hard-working support staff,” said Scavelli. “The district will band together and continue to thrive under new leadership.”
