Board of Education: Erardi Provided ‘21st Century Education’

Members of the Southington Board of Education will have a tall task trying to find a replacement for School Superintendent Joseph V. Erardi Jr.

Erardi on Friday was selected as the successor in Newtown, where he will take on the challenges of fostering a district that was shattered in December 2013 when shooter Adam Lanza killed 20 students and six staff members at the Sandy Hook School.

Board of Education Chairman Brian Goralski said Saturday that the news was “disappointing for the district, but great for Newtown and Erardi.”

“He is a loss for this district and he will be difficult to replace. We have a major task ahead of us,” Goralski said.

Goralski and the Southington Board of Education released the following after Erardi’s resignation Friday night:

Dr. Joseph V. Erardi, Jr., has resigned as Superintendent of Southington Public Schools to become the Superintendent of Newtown Public Schools. The Southington Board of Education is grateful for the positive impact Dr. Erardi has had on Southington. His leadership, vision and work ethic have put our school district on a rising trajectory of improvement in student achievement and a well-defined path to providing a 21st century education. Our progress on that path will not change.

Dr. Erardi’s leadership has created a culture in which the organization is bigger than one person. This board of education is confident in the team that comprises our school system. We have a talented group of educators and a board of education that are committed to providing excellence in education for all our students.