Evesham Township Board of Education approves Vassel contract

A new superintendent is set to take charge December 1. The Evesham Township Board of Education approved Dr. Diana Vassel’s employment contract, with one member voting no and one abstaining. Members cited accountability and measurable goals as they considered the appointment. The vote gives the district a start date for a leader chosen through a search that members described as one of their most important responsibilities.

One Evesham Township Board of Education member said the district had excellent candidates and congratulated Dr. Vassel. Another thanked the nearly 30 applicants and said their quality made the choice difficult. That member praised Vassel’s executive leadership and collaborative spirit, and thanked fellow members, administrators and NJSBA for their work over the summer. Members and an NJSBA representative reflected on the search process, community input and governance.

An Evesham Township Board of Education member said members do not have to agree on everything and described culture as central to a successful organization. That member looked to Dr. Vassel to bring a different voice and help bring people together. Other members reported a positive start to the school year and encouraged parents to get to know new school administrators and principals. Administrators said Vassel is scheduled to begin December 1.

One resident used the Evesham Township Board of Education’s first public comment period to welcome Dr. Diana Vassel and address two other agenda items. The resident said they looked forward to working with the new superintendent. They also welcomed a proposed grounds supervisor job description, citing six years of volunteer back-to-school cleanup at Rice and saying grounds staff have been short-staffed.

The cleanup begins in August, the resident said, and volunteers have treated it as a project for their neighborhood school. The resident hoped a grounds supervisor would reduce the time volunteers spend on the work at Rice. Their comments focused on what the proposed role could mean for a school where families have helped prepare the grounds for students’ return.

The resident then questioned an Evesham Township Board of Education agenda item described as a $12 million bond ordinance. They asked where the money would come from, how spending would be accounted for and whether projected savings would materialize. They sought a year-by-year breakdown of costs and savings, including principal and interest payments, and asked about the timing of solar panels given that spending would precede any savings.