The Jenkintown School Board officially announced superintendent Dr. Jill Takacs’ retirement plans during their meeting on Monday, September 8.
“The superintendent has informed us of her intention to retire at the end of her term, which concludes on August 31, 2026. We’d like to thank her for her years of service and we wish her well,” a board member said, noting that a superintendent search is forthcoming.
“The board has received many questions regarding Dr. Takacs’ leave,” the board member continued. “We want to be clear: It is not related to anything circulating on social media or unverified commentary. We urge our community to avoid speculation and rumor. … By law, the board cannot and will not share confidential personnel information.”
The announcement brought forth a number of remarks from members of the school community.
“I’m happy to hear that the contract is being retired, or she’s being retired, and hopefully we come up with a good superintendent to replace her. The community will be a lot better off and so will the school,” a community member said.
“I’m really heartbroken and disappointed for all the teachers and principals who were mistreated or pushed out early. … I’m worried for all of these teachers of ours who are so amazing. They’re going to leave because you have to your own mental health and sanity,” another community member said. “It’s disappointing to read the leaked teacher’s surveys because it shows the toxic leadership under Dr. Takacs. It feels like you guys didn’t do anything. It’s upsetting that it took leaking for the community to finally learn what you already knew.”
Another community member spoke about “a perception that when families and teachers courageously share their experiences and pain … that we’re being gossipy or that we are perpetuating rumors.” She was conceivably alluding to the board’s responses to various allegations since Walkable Jenkintown shared a retirement letter written by Dr. Christopher Janke, which included a scathing review of Dr. Takacs’ performance. This is what the board told us in late August when we asked for verification of Dr. Jahnke’s retirement memo:
Jenkintown School Board does not comment on personnel matters. Because everyone with access to the internal proceedings related to a complaint are bound to confidentiality, anyone making a public assertion about what these proceedings are or are not in a specific case is either intentionally or recklessly spreading information they have no way of verifying.
At the same time the Board encourages members of the community to ignore unverified assertions, it continues to encourage private messages or public statements relating personal opinions and experiences. This kind of open communication aids the Board by providing information on which to base its decisions.
Our policies prohibit students from cyber-bullying, and we encourage community members to adhere to at least this standard, modeling appropriate behavior for the next generation. The Board finds circulating unverified accounts or personal attacks against employees, students, or families unacceptable. Such actions are damaging, divisive, and contrary to the values of fairness and respect that this District seeks to uphold.
This Board is proud of the progress the District has made under Superintendent Takacs’s leadership, including staying open with a virtual option during COVID, adopting an evidence-based ELA curriculum, and improving its credit rating with a balanced and fiscally-responsible budget. The Board condemns efforts to disparage Superintendent Takacs through rumor or innuendo and affirms its appreciation for the progress the District has achieved under her leadership.
Dr. Takacs was allegedly placed on temporary leave sometime over the weekend. On Sunday, Glenside Local emailed school board president Dr. Megan O’Brien for confirmation, and, if possible, elaboration. We did not receive a response.
Dr. Takacs began her tenure on August 1, 2016 after serving as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction of the Middletown Township Public Schools in Middletown, N.J. Over the past nine years, a number of her decisions have made waves with area residents, including the decision to discontinue the annual Homecoming Bonfire in 2022 and the decision to discontinue the contract of Coach Jim Romano in 2023 (he later sued the district). In 2019, Walkable Jenkintown posted the following:
It’s time to start asking some hard questions about the school district and about the performance of Dr. Jill Takacs. As residents, we must hold up her performance to greater scrutiny.
But let me be clear: I have a child in the district. My first and foremost concern is her education. In my estimation, our schools are staffed by some great teachers, and my daughter is receiving an excellent education.
Do not interpret this scrutiny as an indictment of the quality of the school. It is merely an effort to PREVENT something most Jenkintonians seem to abhor — consolidation with another district.
I am a big believer of smaller schools, but not at the expense of people losing their homes for no other reason than their failure to pay into a system that spends inordinate amounts of money on things other than education.
It’s distressing to hear from residents at least once a month tell me, “When my kid graduates, we’re moving.” Right now, I’m in that camp as well. With tax hikes into the foreseeable future, what besides the school would justify paying ever more money into a system that brings me no direct benefit?
Dr. Takacs priorities are out of whack, and she is apparently taking counsel from people with vested interests in these priorities.
Which security people did she take advice from? Did she find and listen to anyone who did not support her predetermined conclusions? Has Dr. Takacs ever heard of the 10th Man Principle, or is she, her staff, and the School Board fallen victim to more groupthink?
These are all questions that demand answers and long before Dr. Takacs contract comes up for renewal.
On Wednesday, the district announced that the meeting on Monday, September 15 has been moved to the Kuykendall Auditorium, likely in anticipation of a large crowd. A Walkable Jenkintown post from earlier today says:
The Jenkintown Democratic Committee with Jay Conners plans to pack the school auditorium with supporters to defend the school board. They want to turn this into a political rally. This is not about politics. This is about competence and transparency. If you care about the future of this community and the schools that anchor it, and you have serious concerns about its management under Dr. Takacs, please come to this meeting. Monday night, 7pm, High School auditorium.
To clarify a related rumor, we reached out to Conners (who serves as Borough Council president) to ask if he and other council members will be at Monday’s meeting to support the board. He told Glenside Local that is not the case.
“We’re not going to be there to support the school board in any form. Some of council may be there as parents, or as individuals, but not as a unified entity,” he said.
On Tuesday, Anthony McCloskey, who is campaigning for a spot on the school board, posted the following video:
In early September, Bob Kohlhepp, who is also campaigning for a school board position, began circulating a petition titled “Petition to the Jenkintown School District Board Members” which details Dr. Takacs’ alleged misconduct. On Monday, Kohlhepp obtained and shared a teacher’s survey from January 2024. From the post:
This is the raw data released from the State of the Jenkintown School District Teacher Survey that was taken in January of 2024. The colored graphs are difficult to read and interpret, but at page 12 the teachers comments start.
Like the previous email I released, none of you were ever intended to see this information. Hence why it’s been sitting aside for over a year and half. As more and more information begins to come out, the more disgusting the situation is becoming.
The current school board does not listen to the community, previous administrators, parents and now the actual teachers themselves. The people tasked with teaching our children on a daily basis. The only reason why most of us live here.
Everyone needs to read this, share this and come to the school board meeting this evening at 7pm. If this doesn’t piss you off I don’t know what will. Open your eyes people of Jenkintown. What are paying taxes for?
The full meeting from Monday can be watched below:
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