Mountainside superintendent announces planned retirement effective June 30

Superintendent Janet Wong told the Mountainside Board of Education that she plans to retire effective June 30 after a 37‑year career in education.

"Mountainside is a very special place to be, and I cannot imagine any place else to have finished out 37 years," Wong said as she addressed the board during the district’s recognition night, thanking staff and the community for their support. She told the board she had shared her retirement letter with staff and that it would be on the agenda for approval later in the meeting.

Wong used her remarks to highlight the district’s accomplishments and to thank staff members who were being recognized that evening. She described the last six years of her tenure as “some of the most rewarding of my career” and said she looked forward to supporting the district through a transition. "I shared it with the staff this morning... I truly appreciate the feedback that I have gotten," she said.

Board members responded with gratitude and expressed appreciation for Wong’s leadership through recent challenges. Chair presiding at the meeting publicly thanked the superintendent and asked the board to record recognition of her years of service.

The board did not take any final action on a successor at the meeting; the superintendent indicated the retirement letter would be handled later in the agenda. A personnel vote or formal acceptance of a resignation/retirement typically triggers administrative steps such as posting the vacancy and initiating any search or interim appointment processes, but the transcript contains no detailed timetable or staffing plan beyond Wong’s statement that she would continue to support the district in the coming months.

Next steps: Wong’s retirement was announced publicly at the meeting; the board is scheduled to consider her retirement letter as a personnel item later in the agenda and to discuss transition logistics in subsequent meetings.