Board announces assistant superintendent appointment and other leadership changes as Dr. Melissa departs

The board announced during the meeting that Dr. Melissa, the district’s assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, will depart after 10 years to assume the position of superintendent of the Hilton School District in Passaic County.

"Hilton's gain is certainly our loss, and she will be greatly missed by all of us here in South Plainfield," the chair said, praising Dr. Melissa’s decade of service and leadership in expanding academic opportunities, including advanced placement courses and pandemic-era instructional continuity.

At the same time the board named Patrick Cerullo, the district’s director of secondary curriculum and grants, as the new assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction. The chair described Cerullo’s background in the district—teacher, vice principal, principal and director—and called him "exceptionally well qualified for the position." The board also announced that Dr. Bob Goldman will transition from director of elementary curriculum and ESL to director of secondary curriculum and grants, and that Dr. Kevin Hajduk is recommended for director of elementary curriculum and instruction; Hajduk was described as having served as a teacher, vice principal and principal, including 10 years as principal of Kennedy School.

Board members and community commenters offered tributes to Dr. Melissa and other retirees and welcomed the newly appointed administrators. The chair said the district’s new strategic plan, which Dr. Melissa helped spearhead, will be introduced to the public at the August board meeting.

The announcements were presented as board business; the transcript did not record separate roll-call votes attached to these personnel announcements during the public portion of the meeting.