TELL US: What Are You Looking For in the New Marlboro Superintendent?

Superintendent Dr. David Abbott . Abbott has been leading the Marlboro K-8 District for 15 years, but now the Board of Education is looking for a new leader.

On Dec. 3 at 7 p.m., the board and Superintendent search firm are holding a public meeting in the Marlboro Middle School Auditorium.

When Abbott was hired in 1997, the veteran educator took on the task of solving overpopulated schools and new state core education standards. Abbott said his previous skills as an educator were not the only reason he was hired.

The superintendent was a Journeyman Carpenter at one point, which helped him find space for and construct two new elementary schools in the township.

"The board knew coming in that that they were jammed, they had no place to put children," Abbott said. "There were 14 trailers in the school district, six were on the side of Asher Holmes. So, I had to find land."

During Abbott's leadership, Marlboro welcomed two new schools to its community, the Marlboro Early Learning Center and Marlboro Memorial Middle School.

Now, the district is facing a new set of problems to be solved. Teachers are looking for new ways to integrate technology with standardized tests and curriculum changes, and every year the board and superintendent need to come together to create a district budget.

In addition to a public forum, the district is asking residents to participate in an online survey which lists possible characteristics of the next superintendent.

Options on the survey include willingness to listen to input, working cooperatively with the Board of Education and strong leadership skills in previous positions.

With the future in mind, what skills are you looking for in a new superintendent?