Mr. Moore Becomes Assistant Superintendent
On November 19th, Hayden Moore, the former principal of West Orange High School, became the assistant superintendent of the board of education. He will be serving with the help of Interim Superintendent Dr. Lauren Schoen until June 2023 when he will transition into serving as the official superintendent. Filling in his old position at the high school is the new principal, Oscar Guerrero. This radical change will have a large effect on schools across West Orange.
The first news about this shift was on August 22, 2022, when the board of education ended their superintendent search and named Moore the superintendent of schools. President Jennifer Tunnicliffe, in an announcement, said this was to “… sustain continuity during a transition in leadership.”
Until June, Schoen will provide help for Moore as part of the transition plan. Schoen has stated she is looking forward to partnering with Moore. At the August 22nd Board of Education meeting, Moore stated his appreciation for the community and the importance of teamwork. He also said, “I’m lucky to be working with such an esteemed superintendent and I’m lucky that the board is smart enough and kind enough to let a new superintendent have someone to rely on for a year. I’m humble enough to understand it will take me that time to learn how to best serve this community and to make sure that our children and our staff are always comfortable.”
Moore has been serving as the principal of West Orange High School for many years and has even received the “Administrator of the Year” award in 2019, so it is no surprise that he has left an impact on the high school and the students. As a result, on November 18, 2022, Moore received an emotional clap out from staff and students. Students, staff, and faculty lined up in the halls to cheer and applaud for Moore.
By the end of the clap-out, Moore reached the band room, where the orchestra played for him in the hallways and the band and choir performed for him. Moore was presented with a plaque from the staff by the Dean of Students, Mark Maniscalo, which brought him to tears. Later, in the Conforti Office, Moore read his last announcement with the help of seniors Madison Gough and James Tibang, before posing for photos. The members of the student council and WOHS PTA presented him with a bench to commemorate his time as principal.
