Cherry Hill school board plans a national search to replace Superintendent Joseph Meloche

The Cherry Hill school board said it could take a year to name a replacement for outgoing Superintendent Joseph Meloche.

Superintendent Joseph Meloche talks with students during a town hall at Cherry Hill West High School. Meloche is leaving the district at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer

by Melanie Burney

Published March 29, 2023, 5:11 p.m. ET

The Cherry Hill school board plans to launch a national search for a successor to Superintendent Joseph N. Meloche, who is stepping down at the end of the school year, board president Miriam Stern said Wednesday.

In a statement, Stern praised Meloche for obtaining significant increases in fair funding from the state for the district, putting in place full-day kindergarten, and persuading voters to approve a $363 million bond referendum, the largest ever in New Jersey.

Meloche plans to leave the South Jersey district June 30, ending an eight-year tenure. He has accepted a position to become schools chief for the Rose Tree Media School District in Delaware County. He was awarded a five-year contract last week that will pay him $245,000 annually.

The Cherry Hill school board had its first public discussion about replacing Meloche at its monthly meeting Tuesday night. Meloche will remain in place for three more months to allow for a smooth transition, the board said.

Stern said the nine-member board plans to conduct “a thoughtful and thorough search.” The board plans to begin an immediate local search for an interim superintendent and hire a professional firm to lead the national search for a permeant chief.

“The full board of education, community stakeholders, administrators, staff and students will all be invited to participate and provide input throughout the search process,” Stern said. The interim superintendent is expected to serve during the 2023-24 school year.

With more than 11,000 students, the Cherry Hill district is among the largest school systems in New Jersey with 19 schools.

Meloche was named superintendent in Cherry Hill in 2015 and was paid $204,324 last year. His contract was set to expire in 2026. He is the first district alumnus to serve as the superintendent. He previously was a teacher in the Willingboro and Maple Shade school systems.