At the Board of Education meeting of October 9, 2025, Board President Mrs. Laura Hernandez announced that a new permanent superintendent has been chosen to permenantly replace Business Administrator Mr. David Pawlowski, who has been the acting superintendent for three months following Mr. Scott Feder’s departure on September 1.
The special BOE meeting on October 27 was called to announce the new superintendent. Mrs. Hernandez said, “It was a very long and time-consuming process to get to this point.” After a lengthy process beginning in May, with 48 applicants coming from across the country, from Iowa to Alaska, the name was decided: Dr. Bernard Bragen Jr. Dr. Bragen was unanimously voted in by the board, officially confirming him as the next superintendent.
Dr. Bragen is currently serving as interim superintendent for Old Bridge township. He was appointed in July, and was set to serve for four and a half months. He has fourteen years of experience as a superintendent, also having worked in education for much longer in a variety of roles ranging from teacher to professor. Dr. Bragen is from Edison, New Jersey, and has also worked in Hazlet and Edison in New Jersey and Montgomery County in Virginia.
Dr. Bragen is expected to serve South Brunswick for five years. His contract begins on December 1, 2025, and consists of a $290,000 salary plus a 3.2% increase each year. In his introductory speech, Dr. Bragen said to the Board and its attendees, “It is a little humbling standing up here. I didn’t do anything. As a leader and superintendent, your job is a catalyst to put the right people in the right positions to be successful and kind of guide them through the process.” He promises 100% of his effort, hoping to show South Brunswick authenticity and integrity in the actions he takes to serve the district. On October 28, Bragen elaborated on his goals in a letter he sent to the South Brunswick community.
It should be noted that this was one of the most packed BOE meetings in a while, and large numbers of students and administrative staff attended. The president of the teachers’ union, the South Brunswick Education Association, Mr. Marc Lifland also attended and spoke to the superintendent during the meeting, “I have enjoyed an excellent and collaborative relationship with all of the central administration and the board over the many years that I have been president…that collaborative relationship has been a strong suit and I look forward to meeting you.”
After congratulations from both the audience and the board, the meeting was adjourned after a little more than an hour. With the district being rocked by several members of the BOE either resigning or retiring, as well as serious upcoming redistricting issues, Dr. Bragen has a heavy workload to take on as he looks ahead to five years of increased stability.
