Freehold Regional Schools Superintendent Takes Post In NY

MANALAPAN, NJ — The Freehold Regional High School District's loss will be the gain for a district in Westchester County in New York.

The Mamaroneck, N.Y., Board of Education has announced the hiring of Charles B. Sampson, the current head of the Freehold Regional High School District, as the next superintendent of the Mamaroneck Union Free School District, according to a Patch article and an announcement on the Mamaroneck district website.

The Freehold Regional District had no comment Wednesday on Sampson's departure.

Mayor Susan Cohen of Manalapan, who has worked closely with Sampson, said while she is happy for Sampson, his leaving the district is a big loss.

"He is an amazing person and an amazing superintendent," she said.

Sampson will be formally introduced to his new district at a welcome reception on Tuesday, June 20, following his formal appointment by the Board of Education.

The Mamaroneck board said Sampson is expected to begin his employment on Nov. 1.

"We are excited to welcome Dr. Sampson to the Mamaroneck schools," Board of Education President Ariana Cohen said, announcing the selection. "We are confident that his 15 years of experience as a successful superintendent of two high-performing school districts, together with his prior administrative experiences, makes him the ideal successor to lead our district into its next chapter."

Sampson will succeed longtime Mamaroneck Superintendent Robert Shaps, who is retiring in December.

In New Jersey, Sampson most recently was one of the strongest voices among educators for changes to the state S-2 school funding equalization law that saw the regional district lose millions over the past several years.

The planned cut to courtesy busing (busing for students with 2.5 miles of their schools) has been the latest product of the budget cuts, according to Sampson.

There is currently legislation introduced by state lawmakers that would provide $6.76 million in funding to regional districts, and would eliminate the need for the courtesy busing cuts in the Freehold Regional district.

The regional district has six high schools serving Western Monmouth communities: Manalapan, Freehold, Freehold Township, Howell, Marlboro and Colts Neck high schools. The district serves more than 10,000 students.

Sampson began serving as Superintendent of the Freehold District in 2011. Sampson had signed a five-year contract with the Freehold Regional district effective June 2020, according to app.com, that would have amounted to more than $250,000 per year over the five years. No information was provided about his new salary.

The Freehold District has more than 1,300 staff members. Prior to becoming superintendent, Sampson served as Supervisor of Social Studies K-12, as a high school assistant principal and as a high school principal in the district, according to the Patch article.

In 2017, he was named Monmouth County Superintendent of the Year. In 2018, he was named New Jersey Region II Superintendent of the Year. Sampson was also presented with a Distinguished Service Award by the New Jersey Association of School Administrators in May 2022.

"I am very proud of all that has been accomplished in the Freehold Regional District," Sampson said in a statement to the Mamaroneck board regarding his new appointment. "We expanded access to higher level courses, improved outcomes, and developed and implemented special education programs that were recognized for innovations in special education. We also increased career and technical education opportunities, introducing district pathway programs. including web design, health professions and cybersecurity, while launching a successful International Baccalaureate program at two high schools," according to the Patch article.

Sampson earned a B.A. in History as well as a B.S. in Administration of Justice from Rutgers University, an M.A. in Social Studies Education from Rutgers University and an M.A. in Education Administration from Caldwell College, and his Ed. D. in Educational Leadership from Seton Hall University where his studies focused upon the impact of course-taking patterns in high school mathematics, according to his bio on the regional district's website.

Local Editor Jeff Edwards contributed reporting to this article.