Dr. Jill Takacs, superintendent of Jenkintown School District, sent a letter to the high school community on Tuesday, August 29 regarding the appointment of a girls’ basketball coach for the 2023-24 season.
Dr. Takacs wrote that she is recommending to the school board the hiring of Jamal Elliott (pictured above) in place of longtime coach Jim Romano and is inviting team members, prospective team members, and parents/guardians to meet Mr. Elliot on Wednesday, August 30 at 3:45pm in the high school gym.
An excerpt from the letter:
Our coaches are assigned seasonal contracts and are appointed each school year. The Board will vote on his appointment for the coming season on September 18th. Like all of our athletic coaching positions, this is a part-time position.
Mr. Elliott’s basketball coaching experience is extensive, having served as head coach of the Philly Triple Threat AAU basketball team in 2017 – 19 and from 2007 – 2011. He coached NBA draftees Lamar Stevens of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Tony Carr of the New Orleans Pelicans, as well as numerous other standout players who went on to impressive high school and college basketball careers.
Mr. Elliott played basketball at Haverford College and in high school at George School in Newtown, PA. He is currently Site Director at Ad Prima Charter School in Philadelphia, and prior to that, held numerous positions including Chief Operating Officer and Dean of Students at Wissahickon Charter School. He comes to us with nearly 25 years of experience in education, and in working with students. I am very confident in his leadership, team building, and communication skills.
I understand the fervor in our community about this coaching position. Our students and parents are passionate about their sport, and I am committed to ensuring our Girls’ Basketball Team has an encouraging, supportive experience with excellent coaching leadership that promotes both growth and collaboration.
The announcement has brought forth a spate of opinions on local Facebook groups. Examples of posts include:
I hope we can all put our energy into a great retirement party and into welcoming the new coach with open arms. I think that’s in the current students’ best interest and I’ll always try to support them above all else.
Regardless of anyone’s feelings about Coach Romano as a friend/neighbor/coach/mentor/colleague, I do think some things need to be clarified. This was not a school board decision. Since these contracts are done every single year, there was nothing to be voted on. Was it helpful for them to hear from the community? Absolutely! But it really seems as if a lot of community members are under the impression that the school board made any decision here. They did not. And at the September meeting they will be presented a new coach for hire and unless he has some nefarious history, they will almost certainly go forward with the recommendation.
For those saying the board voted to extend the current superintendent’s contract, that is also a misconception. Several of the people who voted for that extension are no longer on the board. The one vote to not extend her contract IS still on the board. So careful when you say “the board backs her”. The board is listening even though they are not commenting. So keep emailing about issues that are important to you, not just this one.
This community can really come together, which can be lovely, but it can also fan flames, start rumors, and make it really unpleasant to voice any other opinion than the one being screamed the loudest.
Since the Jenkintown superintendent didn’t thank Jim Romano for his over 40 years of dedication to the Jenkintown girls basketball program I would like to….
Thank you Mr Romano for all your hard work and dedication. Thank you for your honesty and integrity. Thank you for the sacrifices you made to put our little town on the map. Thank you for pushing me, encouraging me and holding me to high standards.
Thank you for preparing me to play collegiate sports and teaching me to push through when things got tough. Thank you for expecting a lot of me, it has helped me into my adult years. Thank you for making a positive impact on me
MaryAnn Boutcher Higgins, who played for Romano in the early 1980s, posted the following:
A few thoughts on the decision today to replace Coach Jim Romano:
To those in the community, the businesses, the alumni, parents and players who signed the petition, put signs on their lawns or came came to speak out against the debacle that became the replacement of our beloved Coach, thank you.
To those who didn’t I would like to say, simply. Good Luck. You have a Superintendent who bows to the will of the very few. You don’t have to be brave to stand up against what is wrong. You just have to stand up.
To the players on the basketball team, thank you. The alumni is very proud of you and we will always support you.
As the district approaches the 150th year and the celebrations that may come, I ask that you remember how the Superintendent and the board treated one of the school’s most valued employees. Someone who gave 41 years of dedication and sacrifice to the school and the Superintendent didn’t even mention him by name or thank him for his four decades of hard work.
Former players and current parents in the district initiated a petition on July 13 in support of Romano’s rehiring.
For our previous coverage on the matter, you can click here. For more on Mr. Elliot, you can click here. For Dr. Takacs’ letter in full, see below:
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Photo courtesy of the George School