Manhattan Schools Superintendent Departing For Job In Connecticut

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The superintendent in charge of public schools in Lower Manhattan, Midtown and the Upper East Side is set to leave her post next month to take a job in Connecticut.

Donalda Chumney, who has led Manhattan's Community School District 2 since early 2019, told her principals on Thursday that she is the sole finalist for the job of Chief Academic Officer for Norwalk Public Schools in Norwalk, Conn.

"Please know that while the timing of this opportunity was unexpected, I did not make this decision capriciously," Chumney wrote. "It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your superintendent."

District 2 serves more than 25,000 students and comprises 49 K-12 schools across much of Manhattan. Under Chumney, the district's students have led the city in academic proficiency levels in English and math, while decreasing suspensions and special education referrals.

Before joining District 2, Chumney was an assistant superintendent in Brooklyn's District 15, and earlier served as a teacher and school principal in the Bronx.

The Norwalk School Board will formally vote next Wednesday to install Chumney, according to a Department of Education spokesperson.

"If Superintendent Chumney is selected, we will appoint an Interim Acting Superintendent and immediately begin the process to hire a permanent replacement in District 2. Executive Superintendent [Marisol C.] Rosales will support the community throughout a transition," DOE spokesperson Nathaniel Styer said.

Chumney's departure would come during a fraught moment for the city and its school system. On Thursday, the city revealed that its 7-day coronavirus positivity rate had risen to 2.6 percent, inching closer to the 3 percent threshold that would automatically close all schools.