School Board Appoints New Superintendent For West Morris Regional

LONG VALLEY, NJ — In a unique turn of events, the West Morris Regional High School District has tapped a familiar face as its new Superintendent of Schools, following a special Board meeting last week.

In a 5-4 vote, the West Morris Regional High School District Board approved the hiring of Stephen Ryan, the current principal of Mendham High School, as the new Superintendent of Schools.

The decision was made on Thursday, Feb. 27, during a special board meeting to fill the position left vacant by the upcoming retirement of Superintendent Barbara Sergeant.

Sergeant's announcement to retire this spring caught the local community off guard, particularly since she had only stepped into the role in 2023, succeeding longtime Superintendent Michael Ben-David. Ben-David resigned earlier that year after serving the district since 2015.

In response, the board held a special meeting in late November, authorizing the Board Secretary to begin the search for a new superintendent for the West Morris Regional High School District. That search has now concluded, with Ryan being awarded a contract as superintendent from April 1, 2025, through June 30, 2029.

The contract, which sets Ryan's initial salary at $248,000, will increase to $249,200 on July 1, 2025, and then rise by 2 percent each subsequent July 1. The contract has been reviewed and approved by the Morris County Executive Superintendent.

With Ryan's ascension to superintendent, a new principal will need to be appointed for West Morris Mendham High School. Details on how the selection process will unfold have not yet been released.

Ryan has served as the principal of West Morris Mendham High School for the past seven years. Prior to that, he was the principal of West Morris Central and the assistant principal at Mountain Lakes High School.