Bernards Township board appoints Kristen Fox as next superintendent

The Bernards Township Board of Education voted to appoint Kristen Fox as the district's next superintendent and introduced her at the regular meeting.

Miss White announced the personnel action and board members approved the appointment in a roll-call vote during the personnel agenda (vote recorded by board members in the meeting minutes). After the vote, Kristen Fox thanked the board and community and said she is "deeply committed to our students and their families" and intends to focus on student mental health, the Restoring Focus initiative and continuing district priorities.

Why it matters: The appointment provides internal continuity; Fox has served in the district in supervisory and curriculum roles and presented plans that emphasize technology use, mental-health supports and continuation of existing initiatives.

What the board and others said: Student representative MJ commended Fox's responsiveness to students, recalling that Fox "responded literally an hour later" when a student asked for a meeting and then stayed to help. Board members expressed confidence, noting prior areas of disagreement on curriculum that they expect to address through continued professional engagement.

What happens next: Fox said she will assume the role when the current superintendent steps down at the end of the summer and will work with the administrative team on priorities including screen-time events and the district's AI literacy work. The board did not provide additional contractual details during the meeting; the public had asked for transparency on contract terms during public comment.