By ERIN ROLL
roll@montclairlocal.news
The Montclair Board of Education welcomed Kendra Johnson as the district’s new superintendent Monday night, while paying tribute to outgoing interim superintendent Barbara Pinsak.
Pinsak will step down as interim superintendent on May 1, but will remain with the district in a consulting capacity as the district transitions to Johnson’s leadership.
The board also welcomed Latifah Jannah, who will join the board as its newest member later this year. Jannah will replace Jevon Caldwell-Gross, who will be stepping down at the end of the school year.
Each of the board members took a few moments to thank Pinsak for her contributions to the district.
“I wish this board the very best going forward,” Pinsak said. She said that she would not be looking for another interim superintendent role. “You’re truly special people, you’ve been amazing to me, you let a superintendent do her job, or his job, and I’ve never had an experience like it,” she said. “What a great career topper this was.”
The meeting started with a musical performance in Spanish by a group of students from Northeast, followed by a dance performance from students at Renaissance.
Joel Patenaude and Judy Hoffstein introduced the Alex Patenaude Compassion Program, a pilot program to teach children about social and emotional health and well-being. The program is named for their son, Alex, an MHS graduate who died last year, and is being funded with the help of Alex’s college fund.
This is a developing story. Follow the Montclair Local for more information.