Dr. Nicole Santora Named New Manalapan-Englishtown Superintendent

MANALAPAN, NJ - Amid the retirement of Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District Superintendent John John J. Marciante Jr. next month, the district has named a successor to the role.

At a June 2020 Board of Education meeting, Marciante Jr. put in his one-year notice that the 2020-2021 school year will be his final one as acting Superintendent of Schools. Marciante has served the district for 14 years.

Dr. Nicole Santora, who has served as the assistant superintendent for curriculum and human resources at the district since 2016, will succeed Marciante Jr. when he retires on June 30.

According to a copy of the contract that has been posted on the school district’s website, the incoming superintendent’s first contract will span from July 1 through June 30, 2024 with an initial salary of $185,000, with a 2 percent increase each year.

Board of Education President Dotty Porcaro told the News Transcript that the hiring decision was made official April 20.

“As superintendent, I will work with stakeholders to ensure the district continues to reach and exceed high levels of education and academic achievement; provide students with a safe, technologically-advanced learning environment; and provide a positive and healthy work and learning environment for both staff and students,” Santora wrote in a letter to the community, per the publication.

Dr. Santora holds a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics from Rowan University, a Master’s Degree in Administration, Supervision and Curriculum from Georgian Court University and a Doctorate in Education from Rowan University, according to her LinkedIn profile. She started her career as a mathematics and computer science teacher in Monroe Township School District in 2002, going on to serve as a supervisor of mathematics at Cranford and Clifton schools, an adjunct professor at Brookdale Community College and an Administrative Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction at Freehold Regional High School District before joining the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District.

Jodi Pepchinski, the principal at the Milford Brook School, will take Santora’s place as assistant superintendent for curriculum and human resources, effective July 1. Melissa Tice, the assistant principal at the John I. Dawes Early Learning Center, will serve as principal at Milford Brook School to fill Pepchinski’s role, also effective July 1.

The district consists of eight schools serving grades K-8 and has a current enrollment of approximately 5,000.

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