Fort Lee board appoints Diane Collazo superintendent through 2031 at $258,000 salary

The Fort Lee Board of Education voted to appoint Diane Collazo as the district’s superintendent, naming her to a five-year contract that runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031, with an initial salary of $258,000 and a 3% salary increase in each subsequent year.

The board read and approved a resolution authorizing the appointment and empowering the board president to finalize the employment agreement. A motion to approve the resolution was made, seconded, and carried by roll call; every member present answered “Yes” during the vote.

After the vote, Collazo addressed those in the room and online, thanking the board and the community. “I’m truly touched to see so many of you here,” she said, describing her long service in the district and pledging to work “to make our community and, most importantly, our students really proud.”

The resolution, read aloud by the board reader, states the board’s finding that Collazo brings institutional knowledge and two decades of professional commitment to the district and that Bergen County’s Executive Superintendent of Schools has reviewed and approved her employment agreement.

The board’s authorization includes the president taking any necessary steps to finalize the contract. No amendment to the salary or term was recorded during the meeting; the resolution as read specifies the salary and the annual 3% increases.

The board did not discuss further conditions or contingencies on the record; the appointment will take effect on July 1, 2026. The district indicated the agreement has been reviewed by county-level education officials, as stated in the resolution.