New Ridgewood Superintendent Has 'Wealth Of Experience' In Education

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — About a year after former Ridgewood Schools Superintendent Tom Gorman announced his resignation, the village school board has tapped a new leader to take helm of the district.

Mark Schwarz, the Madison Public Schools superintendent, was unanimously approved at Monday's school board meeting to assume the role, replacing interim Superintendent Leonard Fitts, who began effective July 1, 2022, and will continue to serve through the end of the 2022-23 school year.

Schwarz, appointed the Madison superintendent in 2017, will join the village district this summer and stay on the job until June 2028 at which time the contract is up for renewal. He was selected after a multi-phase search process for a permanent superintendent that launched in October 2022.

"We are thrilled to have Mr. Schwarz join the Ridgewood team," BOE president Michael Lembo said. “We look forward to working with him to continue Ridgewood’s legacy of academic excellence and are confident that his leadership and guidance will help us to further advance Ridgewood Public Schools.”

Schwarz, who was selected from a pool of candidates, "brings a wealth of experience and leadership qualities developed over 20 years in public education," district spokesperson Christine Corliss said.

His prior experience, the spokesperson said, includes five years with Rockaway Borough Schools, where he served in pivotal roles, including as district superintendent and a middle school principal. Before Rockaway, he served Jefferson Township Public Schools for nine years in various capacities, including as a teacher and a K-12 supervisor.

“We are grateful to the entire community for their support and input," Lembo said, referring to a survey and forums that helped provide feedback about a candidate who would best meet the district's needs.

"Their input was invaluable in guiding the selection process.”