The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Schools Superintendent John Ravally has notified the Board of Education that he intends to retire at the end of June, ending an 11-year stewardship of district schools.
Ravally notified school board members of his intention in a letter.
In a statement, Ravally said that he has been in education for 37.5 years, with the last 24 years as a superintendent, and that his past 11 years in Franklin “have been extraordinary.”
“I am grateful for the relationships built with students, staff, and families throughout my tenure,” he wrote. “From the very beginning, Franklin Township, the Board of Education and the staff and students of the district made me feel welcome, for which I am truly grateful.”
“Working alongside fellow educators, the Board and larger community, I feel a great sense of accomplishment and pride in all that we have achieved together,” he said. “I am grateful that I could start this next chapter of my life on such a positive note.”
“I will assist the Board of Education in any way needed to ensure a smooth transition to the district’s next instructional leader,” Ravally wrote. “I know that whoever is selected will be fortunate to work in such a diverse community and alongside individuals who collaborate in the best interests of our children.”
Ravally joined the District in July 2015, when the District was in the beginning phases of construction connected to the $85 million referendum passed in 2014. The Claremont Elementary School was built as part of that referendum.
He oversaw the realignment of the school district into seven elementary schools, two middle schools and a high school.
According to his page on the District web site, Ravally has shepherded “the growth of the integrated preschool program, including the inclusion of three-year-old students. The district’s specialized programs have flourished, including the expansion of the Career Technical Program, while established programs such as the district’s Bilingual/ESL programs continue to be recognized for their excellence.”
“The district as a whole was given a high performing designation following the last New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NYQSAC) performance review,” according to the page. “Dr. Ravally has supported relationships between the school district and the larger Franklin community, working with Township leadership on various forums in response to changing circumstances and cultivating relationships with local organizations to support district students. Supporting students and giving them a voice for change has been an important part of the district’s equity plan which has been implemented by Dr. Ravally with the support of the Board of Education.”
Former school board member Nancy LaCorte was Board vice president when Ravally was hired.
“I was proud to be part of the board that hired Dr. Ravally, and it remains one of the most meaningful decisions of my 18½ years of service,” she said in a written statement. “He arrived in Franklin at a time of instability and went on to lead the district through an extraordinary period of growth and improvement.”
“While initiatives such as redistricting, the one-to-one technology rollout, and strengthened academic programming stand out, they represent only a small part of his accomplishments,” she wrote. “His leadership consistently centered students, strengthened the district’s trajectory, and deepened its connection to the community.”
“Even though I no longer work with him in a Board of Education capacity, his continued involvement reflects the kind of leader he is,” LaCorte wrote. “He shared not only his leadership but his family with our community, and while we know we have to return him, Franklin will always be grateful for the time we had.”
“He is a thoughtful, intelligent, and genuinely kind leader who will be deeply missed,” she wrote.
Richard Seamon was a Board member when Ravally was hired. He said Ravally was a welcome, calming presence.
”John Ravally came to Franklin after probably the worst period in close to 20 years,” Seamon wrote in a statement. “The previous Superintendent had lost his relationship with a group of Board members and his contract was not renewed. It was an awful time for Franklin.”
“Dr. Ravally was able to make relationships and bring people together,” Seamon wrote. “He oversaw the opening of the Claremont School and the revision of grade levels across District schools. He has always been a calming presence who showed respect to everyone.”
“Franklin has been very fortunate to have John Ravally as our Superintendent for so many years,” Seamon wrote. “I wish him the best.”
School board member Bill Grippo worked with Ravally both as a Board member and a district principal.
”In both roles I had I found John to be an encouraging leader and a man of vision,” Grippo said in a written statement.
“I am grateful for his efforts with the Warrior Health Center, Zufall, his encouragement with the YMCA and Franklin Food Bank, Chamber of Commerce and all the Warrior for Life efforts and of course the COVID challenge,” he wrote. “I wish him the very best of a retirement future and good health.”
“We should be grateful for his time in the Warrior Nation,” Grippo wrote.
Board member Nick DiMeglio also worked with Ravally on different levels.
”Dr. Ravally has been a remarkable steward of the Franklin Township community—his presence at countless school and town events reflected his deep commitment to our students and families,” DiMeglio wrote in a statement. “I was especially grateful for the opportunity to work on his leadership committee that he assembled during the COVID-19 pandemic and for his support of initiatives like Project Graduation, which helped keep our students safe on the night of graduation.”
“When I became a board member last year, he was very helpful in teaching me how to be a good board member,” he wrote. “It’s been an honor to serve alongside him and learn from his steady, student-first leadership.”
Township Council Member Ed Potosnak, a former school board member who was president when Ravally was hired, said in a statement that Ravally “did such a great job, supported by outstanding administrators, a strong leadership team, dedicated teachers and staff, and active parents, he assuredly set up the next Superintendent for success.”
“We are all extremely grateful Dr. Ravally brought his experience to Franklin Township Public Schools to finish out his exemplary career as an educator,” Potosnak wrote.
We’re very sorry to lose Dr. Ravally to a well-deserved retirement,” he wrote. “His kind, caring, and competent leadership turned around two failing schools, built a new LEED Gold Elementary School that uses half the electricity and water of the others, saving taxpayers money, realigned the district to provide stability with ‘One Less Move,’ took Franklin High School to the next level as a top performer, supported award winning arts, music, and athletics, and created model programs in bilingual and special education.”
Prior to coming to Franklin, Ravally was schools Superintendent in Point Pleasant Beach – which has an elementary and a high school – and Bay Head, which has an elementary school and sends its high school students to Point Beach.
Ravally, a Point Pleasant resident, also served as a school Superintendent/Principal in the Lavallette school district.
This is a developing story and will be updated with reactions.
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