Head of U.F. school district bids farewell
BY JANE MEGGITT
Staff Writer

ALLENTOWN — Departing Superintendent Robert Connelly presided over his final Board of Education meeting on Aug. 17.

Connelly, who has served the district for five years, ends his tenure on Aug. 31. Although the board has not yet appointed a permanent replacement, Robert “Bob” Smith, the recently retired superintendent of the Rumson-Fair Haven High School District, will take the reins Sept. 1 as the interim superintendent.

Connelly announced he was leaving in February to take a job at his alma mater, Seton Hall University, located in South Orange. At that time, he advised his successor “not to come in on a white horse and tell everyone what to do.”

“Build a collective vision,” Connelly said. “Ask the community what they want for the children of this town.”

Connelly said he looks forward to his new work, a lot of which he will be able to do online. He and his wife, Nancy, a recently retired French teacher, plan to travel.

Connelly’s new duties involve being a mentor for the Newark-based Grow Your Own Future Leaders program at Seton Hall. He said he is pleased that a group of urban teachers he had previously worked with specifically asked for him to be a mentor in the program.

Connelly said it is time for a change in the Upper Freehold Regional School District.

“I think change is positive,” he said. “I know what I have done well in five years, and I know what needs to be done.”

Connelly said it is time for the district to redo its strategic plan, which he said was good for five years. He added that Smith is a very capable, experienced superintendent.

“His goal is to move the district forward, but he will not be the leader to change its direction,” Connelly said. “He will keep the initiative moving forward.”

Resident Richard Messner, who is a retired superintendent, thanked Connelly at the board meeting, adding that Connelly was “extremely cooperative and professional, to say the least.”

Messner called Connelly a really good person and said that Upper Freehold’s loss will be Seton Hall’s gain.