Gonnelli Urges Secaucus BOE To Make Voorhees Permanent Superintendent

SECAUCUS, NJ — The Secaucus Board of Education is now advertising for a permanent superintendent, the Board announced at their Monday night meeting (watch here).

Patriots athletic director and head football coach Charlie Voorhees has been interim superintendent since last spring, when the BOE put Erick Alfonso on a $183,000 paid leave, but never said why.

Mayor Mike Gonnelli spoke Monday night and urged the school board to give Voorhees the job. He urged them to look "inside" for the top job of running the Secaucus school district, meaning look for someone who already works in the district, or was raised in town.

"We have an assistant superintendent now who is doing a hell of a job," said the mayor (he meant acting superintendent, not assistant). "I can't say give him the job, but he is doing a hell of a job. I have not had one complaint from anybody at all. No complaints at all. And we gained someone from the inside. That's what we need. We don't need an outsider. We had enough experience prior to this with the outsiders."

"We got somebody from the inside. And that's what we need," he continued. "I just hope you vote with your conscience and you vote for what this town really needs ... We need Charlie."

Voorhees has not said if he will apply, but Gonnelli's public support Monday night indicates he wants the job.

The Secaucus school board has never said why they put Alfonso on leave. (At the time he was fired, Alfonso was attempting to lead the district on a very controversial redistricting, but that is not at all related to why he was fired, sources told Patch.) However, the board was never able to legally void Alfonso's three-year contract, which resulted in Secaucus taxpayers paying Alfonso a total of $183,977 for the past year he has not worked. Alfonso's paid leave was March 20, 2024 through April 21, 2025, at which point he officially resigned.

Gonnelli has always spoken highly of Voorhees. When the Board first put Voorhees in the top job last April after the Alfonso debacle, Gonnelli praised the decision, saying:

"Mr. Voorhees was born and raised in Secaucus and is committed to the town ... Leadership in the district flows from the superintendent and board members. Everything rises and falls on leadership ... Selecting a permanent superintendent in the near future is one of the most important decisions the board will have to make for our community."

In February, Gonnelli said in this article of the BOE firing Alfonso: "They had no reason to get rid of him."

Gonnelli previously said the way the Secaucus BOE handled Alfonso was "totally ridiculous and a waste of taxpayer money," and that he was "very disappointed in the Board of Education members."

Watch the Monday night meeting; Gonnelli starts speaking at 1:22:

Voorhees does not hold a certificate to be superintendent, however he could still get the job if the Board chooses to hire him. Currently, he has to be re-approved as acting superintendent every 90 days by the Board and Hudson County.

The Board voted Monday night to post an ad to find a permanent superintendent, with Voorhees remaining acting superintendent until September 2025. That ad will be posted internally on the Secaucus school district website, and the district will also advertise externally.

Interviews with superintendent candidates will take place this summer.

Also, at their April 30 meeting the school board passed a budget that brings a small increase to the school tax levy. It averages to be about $70 more per home, said Gonnelli. The tax increase takes effect in July.

The town of Secaucus also passed its own budget this week, which brings no tax increase for homeowners. Gonnelli did say Hudson County is currently working on its 2025-'26 budget, and he is nervous there will be a tax increase from the county.

"This town is run well on the municipal side," said Gonnelli Wednesday.

The school board will not be using an executive search firm to find a new superintendent, Board lawyer Stephen Fogarty said Monday night. But the board may hire such a firm if it can't find a superintendent on its own, he said.

Prior: Secaucus Paid Superintendent $183,977 For Year Of Not Working (Feb. 2025)

Charlie Voorhees Named Acting Secaucus School Superintendent (April 2024)