Charlie Voorhees Named Acting Secaucus School Superintendent

SECAUCUS, NJ — At their meeting Thursday, the Secaucus Board of Education is expected to unanimously approve the hiring of Charlie Voorhees as interim school superintendent.

The board made this decision in a special 4:30 p.m. meeting Thursday at the high school.

Voorhees is currently the Secaucus athletic director. He will be named acting superintendent, effective April 18 through June 30 of this year. After June 30, the Board of Education will have to choose a permanent superintendent.

Voorhees will be paid the difference of the two salaries (athletic director and superintendent) over the three-month period, which will be $6,117 in total, said Secaucus BOE President Kelli D'Addetta.

He will fill the role of Erick Alfonso, who was abruptly and mysteriously put on paid leave by the Board of Ed. last month. To this day, no Board member has ever said why Alfonso was put on leave, or why he is under investigation by the Board. The public may never know what happened, as Alfonso is entitled to privacy.

However, Alfonso has been paid his $180,000 yearly salary during his time on leave.

Secaucus Superintendent Placed On Paid Leave (March 22)

Mayor Mike Gonnelli — who sharply criticized the BOE last month when Alfonso was put on leave — today praised their decision to put Voorhees in the role.

"Mr. Voorhees was born and raised in Secaucus and is committed to the town, and notably, to academic excellence, especially in light of the challenges posed," said Gonnelli Thursday afternoon. "Leadership in the district flows from the superintendent and board members. Everything rises and falls on leadership, and Mr. Voorhees has agreed to be that leader on an interim basis."

The mayor also gave the Board somewhat of a warning as they prepare to choose a permanent school superintendent:

"Selecting a permanent superintendent in the near future is one of the most important decisions the board will have to make for our students, for our families and for our community," he said.

Voorhees = Secaucus born and bred

Voorhees is very well-known in town: He started out as a high school math teacher. He's been head coach of the Secaucus High School football team since 1999, winning six consecutive league championships, from 2006 to 2011.

He is a product of Secaucus schools, having graduated from Secaucus High School and then Muhlenberg College where he received his B.A. in accounting. While at Muhlenberg, he was a four-year varsity letterman in football and vice president of the college Chess Club.

Voorhees has two masters degrees: the first is from Jersey City State College in Mathematics Education, which he received in 1994 and the second is from Saint Peter’s College in Administration and Supervision, which he received in 2002. Before beginning his teaching career Voorhees worked for Hartz Mountain Industries as a Project Manager and is a member of the Carpenter’s Union Local #6 and Local #253.