Princeton Schools Superintendent Announces Resignation

PRINCETON, NJ – After around two and a half years of serving Princeton Public Schools, Superintendent Carol Kelley on Friday announced her resignation from the post.

“This week, after much consideration, I made the difficult decision to resign as Superintendent of Princeton Public Schools. This decision has not come easy, but for personal and professional reasons, I must take some time to reset and recenter myself so I can later return to public education and continue to positively impact students,” Kelley said in an email to the community.

Kelley took over from interim Superintendent Barry Galasso after Steve Cochrane left the school district.

In her email, she thanked the community for their support and said it was an honor to serve the students.

“Over the past two+ years, I’ve learned from you and your students as we’ve faced challenges and triumphs together. I’m grateful for our increased engagement, academic improvements and the strategic plan, Forward Focus, that we co-created,” Kelley said.

“It has truly been an honor to serve your children and to be a part of this dynamic community. Your invaluable feedback, engagement, and support have always been a source of motivation.”

Following Kelley’s email to the community, the Board of Education sent a follow-up email confirming Kelley’s resignation and thanking her for her service.

The BOE said Kelley will be taking a leave of absence immediately and her resignation is effective Aug. 31, 2024.

“We are thankful to Dr. Kelley for her contributions to the Princeton Public Schools. She joined us at a time when we were just emerging from the darkest days of the pandemic. Dr. Kelley leaves the district with a more effective and efficient administrative structure, exceptional personnel hires, and a data-driven strategic plan that will further support our staff’s ability to provide the necessary conditions for all students to achieve their potential,” The BOE said in a statement.

"We thank Dr. Kelley for her service, and we wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”

The Board of Education will be hosting a special meeting on Monday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. at Valley Road.

Kelley’s tenure at the school district was marked with many controversies, the most prominent being the dismissal of popular high school principal Frank Chmiel earlier this year.

This was followed by issues with the after-school service provider in September, following which they announced terminating their contract with the district.

Before joining PPS, Kelley was superintendent of the Oak Park Elementary School District 97, located just outside of Chicago, Illinois.

Kelley also served as school superintendent in Branchburg Township, New Jersey, from 2012 to 2015.

Her previous stints included Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Hunterdon Central Regional High School District in Flemington, Principal of Milltown Elementary School in Bridgewater, K-12 supervisor of mathematics in the Franklin Township Public Schools, assistant principal of Franklin Park Elementary School and Sampson G. Smith Middle School in Franklin Township, and teacher at the Smith Middle School.

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