‘More to come’

After nearly two decades in the Cherry Hill school district, where he has served as an elementary- and high-school principal, Dr. Kwame Morton is in the middle of his first full academic year as superintendent.

In a recent interview with The Sun, Morton said he’s proud of the work that’s been accomplished so far, and looks forward to all that’s coming in the near and distant future. 

A strong point of pride for Morton has been watching projects funded by the 2022 bond referendum of $363 million – the largest ever passed in New Jersey – come to fruition.

“The commencement of the work was aligned with my start as acting superintendent (in July 2024), so I’ve been intimately involved in the projects that have taken place thus far,’ he explained. “We’ve had massive roofing work done across the district, we’ve had gyms redone in multiple schools, we have new APRs (All Purpose Rooms) being built at six of our elementary schools.

“That’s only a third of the work that we have in front of us,” Morton added. “So seeing the projects get completed on schedule, on time, on budget has been awesome. It’s been fantastic for us.” 

Another 2024 highlight was the district being cited as one of only a few statewide to receive preschool expansion funds. There are currently about 350 kids in the continually expanding program.

“That’s wonderful to have the opportunity to provide free preschool, universal preschool for the families of Cherry Hill,” Morton emphasized. “It’s tremendous.” 

Morton also spotlighted the hiring of several new principals, including Christina Collazo-Franco at Carusi Middle School, Alison McCartney at Woodcrest Elementary School and Daniel Finkle at Cherry Hill East.

“They hit the ground running. I think things are going very well in our schools,” noted Morton, who reported that he has sought out like-minded individuals who “possess and embody the same energy and mindset.”

“I’m proud of the comprehensive change as I think about it all,” he observed, “and how we’re systematically addressing everything and managing it all and moving forward, and attempting to provide kids the greatest experience possible in the district.” 

Looking ahead at the rest of 2025 and beyond, Morton said his administration is “deeply entrenched” in crafting a new five-year strategic plan. The current one expires this year. 

“That’s a massive effort,” he acknowledged. “It involves tremendous community voices, survey process, individual meetings, focus group meetings, reviewing data, establishment of focus areas, establishment of goals, indicators of success. All of that is happening as we speak.”

The administration is also crafting its first “Portrait of a Graduate” profile, to identify the characteristics, attributes and qualities the community wants for students as they progress through the school system. It will also include skills students should acquire during their education that will help them navigate the world after graduation.

Community meetings over the past few months have enabled parents and other stakeholders to have their voices heard, a process Morton estimated will end by May or June. And he is in the early stages of exploring possible elementary-level redistricting in the 2028-’29 academic year. 

“We had a demographic study that was done last year, and this demographic study follows population trends,” he offered. “We were able to see that in the 2028-’29 school year, we’re projected to have significant enrollment increases at the elementary level, particularly because of the preschool program that we started. And as the children matriculate upward, of course they’re going to land in specific schools.

“So we’ve begun the planning process around elementary redistricting, and more to come with that.” 

Under consideration to alleviate overcrowding is the transition of the Arthur Lewis administration building – formerly an elementary school – back to its original use. Other adjustments, including new transportation routes and updated boundaries for schools and neighborhoods, will also be discussed. 

“But we are nowhere close to being ready with recommendations yet,” Morton stressed. 

The school district will continue to enhance its communication strategy, he emphasized. A “revealing” audit completed last year led to some vital updates of the district’s digital presence and communication with the public.

“Community members found it very difficult to navigate our district website and found it difficult to find information,” Morton said. “So one of the things that we’ve done as a result, we have a new website. A new website just launched on Jan. 2 when we returned back to school.

“So this new and improved website has received positive feedback and was an outgrowth of that process.” 

As Morton’s inaugural school year as superintendent enters its second half, he says he’s honored to helm a district where the students, parents and staff feel strongly about academic success.

“Cherry Hill’s a great community, a wonderful community of passionate individuals,” he stated. “Many people move here for the schools and experience for their children. That’s just the type of place that Cherry Hill is.”