Seipp, McQuaid Leaving Westwood Regional Schools

The Westwood Regional Board of Education voted Thursday to accept the resignations of three administrators who recently landed jobs in other districts.

Westwood Regional Middle School Principal Charles Seipp will become the new principal of Mountain View Middle School in Mendham.

Seipp, who opened the new middle school three years ago, said he had "mixed feelings" about the change, but ultimately decided to take the job because he would be much closer to home. He has been making a 45-mile commute each way to Westwood.

Supervisor of Child Study Team Services Liz McQuaid, who has been filling in as the head of the Special Services department, will also be leaving. She could not immediately be reached for comment. Her new position will also be much closer to home, according to Board of Education President Roberta Hanlon.

Rory McCourt, the director of elementary education and technology and testing coordinator who stepped up to be the interim superintendent, will become the superintendent of River Vale Schools.

Hanlon praised McQuaid and McCourt for filling roles during a year that saw  turnover of several school administrators.

"They both stepped up with professionalism and made it work," Hanlon said.

She also praised Seipp and said his leaving was "a loss to the district."

Seipp and Hanlon both said they believed Assistant Principal Frank Connelly and the school's staff would be able to continue doing a good job.

"By creating that middle school, we pushed the district into a position where we're competitive with everyone else in the area," Seipp said.