Incoming Saddle Brook Superintendent Meets With Parents

Parents, students and faculty members of the Saddle Brook School District stopped by the high school Monday night to meet with Richard Katz, the district’s new superintendent of schools.

“I just wanted an informal opportunity to say hello to people, to have them get to know me on a personal and a professional level, and really get a little bit of a head start for once I’m officially here in the district to have some familiar faces,” Katz said. 

Katz, who was recently approved by the school board for a five-year contract, is the current superintendent, principal and director of special services for Hunterdon County’s Clinton-Glen Gardner district, a position he has held since 2009.

Katz is set to replace the retiring superintendent Kathryn Fedina no later than August 1.

“Our priorities are the same, our values are the same and we want the same things for our children,” Katz said to those in attendance. “I do want this school district to be everything I would want for my daughter.”

While Katz has 18 years of experience in education, it is his role as a father that provides comfort to some of the district’s parents — particularly Sandra Moreno, the vice president of the Parent Teacher Association for Franklin Elementary School.

“It seems like he wants what we want,” Moreno said.  

“He has a young daughter, which is very helpful because he can relate to us parents no matter what age our children are, he can relate," she said. "He wants the best for his child and he knows that we want the best for our children.”

Michelle Levy, Franklin Elementary’s Parent Teacher Association correspondent, agreed.

Levy said she is hopeful Katz will work on providing more programs for students during his time as superintendent, in order to bring students together and maintain Saddle Brook’s close-knit community, something Katz was initially drawn to when pursuing his new position.

Other parents, including James Massa, said they are hoping Katz will boost Saddle Brook’s school ratings.

Regardless of what parents would like to see done in the schools, most agreed that having a personal relationship and being on a first name basis with Katz is key.

“My initial impressions of the district, again just from a couple of days, is finding people who are deeply committed to students; they are people who are passionate about what they do, who have a vision for what could be,” Katz said. “I’m thrilled to be a part of that."

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