Michael LaSusa was officially appointed to the permanent position of superintendent of Princeton Public Schools (PPS) on Jan. 8, 2025 after unanimous approval from the PPS board. LaSusa will begin his role on July 1, 2025 and will serve as the superintendent for an initial five-year term, which may be extended by re-appointment.
LaSusa’s appointment comes after a turbulent few years for the PPS board. Former superintendent Carol Kelley resigned in October 2023 after a series of divisive issues that rocked the district. Among them were a lengthy back-and-forth between former high school principal Frank Chmiel ’98 and the board after his dismissal, as well as the publication of a videotape in which nonprofit staffers suggested the inclusion of LGBTQ+ issues in Princeton Middle School curriculum without parental consent.
Following Kelley’s resignation, interim superintendent Kathie Foster took over on Sept. 1, 2024.
“I don’t have any insight or pre-judgements about anything that has come before me,” LaSusa told The Daily Princetonian. “In my role and my time that I’ll spend in Princeton, I’ll just do the best I can supporting the individuals in the schools who do the important work.”
In an interview with the ‘Prince,’ Dafna Kendal, president of the Princeton Board of Education, cited that the average tenure for a superintendent in New Jersey is around three years, and that stability was a factor involved in the selection process. LaSusa has been serving as the superintendent for the School District of the Chathams in northern New Jersey for the past 13 years and was selected from a pool of 37 applicants.
“We haven’t had a permanent superintendent that served more than three years since 2020, so we’re looking to bring stability, someone who wants to be here and wants to be a part of our community,” Kendal said.
Before serving as superintendent in Chatham, LaSusa began as a teacher at Chatham High School in 2001. He went on to become school principal, then assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, before ascending to the superintendent role.
“Over the past year and a half or so I’ve been contemplating whether or not it’s the right time in my career to take on another set of challenges and learn a new school district,” LaSusa said. “I saw Princeton advertised … and decided to throw my hat in the ring.”
LaSusa compared some of his guiding principles when leading others to his experiences with long distance running, as a marathon and ultra-marathon runner. “You have to learn how to rest, you have to learn how to pace, you have to be humble, and all of those things I try to remember in myself when I work,” he said.
“I know that they [coworkers] have lives outside of school, they have children, or they have parents they take care of; I can’t expect them to be infinite machines,” he added.
Another factor LaSusa cited as an influence on the way he operates as a superintendent is his experience with parenthood.
“I always try to keep in my mind when a parent is struggling or has a concern or a question that is coming from a place of love and care for their kids, and I, of course, can relate to that,” LaSusa said. “Being a parent has informed me and helped make me a better educator.”
On Jan. 7, the day before the appointment meeting, LaSusa visited the principals and central staff of the schools in the district, as well as the heads of the district unions.
“People were just so excited just about his philosophy, his manner, his vision,” Kendal told the ‘Prince.’
At the appointment meeting, LaSusa received praise and welcoming from members of the board and the community. When introducing him at the meeting, Kendal discussed LaSusa’s commitment to serving all students, specifically mentioning black students and students receiving special education and related services. Representatives from both the Princeton Parents for Black Children organization and Princeton Special Education Parent Advisory Group were present at the meeting and spoke during the public comment section, welcoming LaSusa.
All board meetings can be viewed on the PPS website, and the board will meet next on Jan. 21.
Devon Rudolph is an associate News editor and Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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