Hawthorne board appoints Matthew Maganelli as superintendent
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Summary
The Hawthorne Board of Education appointed Matthew Maganelli as superintendent after a competitive search; board members congratulated the new superintendent and the appointment passed with one abstention.
The Hawthorne Public School District Board of Education voted to appoint Matthew Maganelli as the district's new superintendent during the same meeting that approved the 2025-26 budget. Mrs. Dunn, speaking for the personnel committee, announced the appointment and introduced Maganelli's background to the board and public.
Mrs. Dunn, a board member, said the district conducted a multi-candidate search that included a pool of 45 applicants and eight finalists interviewed; she described Maganelli as having more than 20 years in education with experience as a high school teacher, assistant principal, principal and director of secondary education, including a lengthy service record in Wayne (as described in the personnel committee remarks). Board members offered congratulations and discussed hosting a community welcome event.
The roll call for the appointment recorded a majority of "yes" votes with one abstention (Mr. Totero), and the motion passed. Board minutes show gratitude expressed to the outgoing superintendent (referenced in committee remarks) and to the personnel and search team for conducting the process.
Nut graf: Why it matters — The appointment names the district's next chief executive and sets leadership for implementing the adopted budget, curriculum priorities and district initiatives described in the budget presentation. The board emphasized continuity and a community welcome as next steps.
Additional context: The personnel motion covered several staffing and bond-related resolutions in the same block of agenda items; the superintendent appointment was one of those personnel actions. The board noted plans to introduce the new superintendent to the community and to coordinate transition activities. The meeting record shows a formal acknowledgement of the selection process and the intent to support the new superintendent.
Ending: The board concluded the personnel votes with the appointment approved and then proceeded with general public comments and other agenda items.
