Brookfield Interim Superintendent To Step Down In Mid-January

BROOKFIELD, CT — Interim Brookfield school Superintendent Vonda Tencza will step down from her position in mid-January, several months earlier than planned, according to a notice she sent to district staff and community members.

Tencza’s resignation, effective Jan. 16, will leave the district without a superintendent as the annual budget-planning process gets underway. She had been scheduled to remain in the role through June.
Tencza was hired last summer to serve during the 2025–26 school year while the Brookfield Board of Education conducts a search for a permanent superintendent. She began her tenure on Sept. 8.

The superintendent search followed the departure of former Superintendent John Barile, who left at the end of the 2024–25 school year to become dean of Central Connecticut State University’s School of Education.

In an email to the Brookfield Public Schools community dated Dec. 18, Tencza said she decided to resign early to address other personal commitments.

Tencza said her work focused on keeping the Board of Education centered on student learning and helping prepare the district for the arrival of a permanent superintendent.

Her announcement came one day after she presented a proposed $58.8 million operating budget for the 2026–27 school year. The proposal represents an increase of more than $3.3 million, or about 6 percent, over current spending.

Before joining Brookfield, Tencza served as superintendent of Woodbridge Public Schools. She also held administrative roles in Seymour and Hebron and worked as a teacher in Wethersfield.

Tencza succeeded another interim superintendent, Rich Napoli, who led the district following Barile’s departure until Sept. 7. Napoli had served as acting dean of students at Whisconier Middle School during the 2024–25 school year before his interim superintendent appointment ended.

Meanwhile, the superintendent search committee has completed its first round of interviews, according to discussion at the Board of Education’s Dec. 17 meeting. A second round of interviews is expected to take place in January.