Neshaminy superintendent leaves for Lower Merion

LANGHORNE Neshaminy School District's superintendent, Robert Copeland, has resigned to take the same job at the Lower Merion School District, effective July 1.

Copeland announced his resignation in a letter to the school community on Tuesday, the same day that Lower Merion's school board said he was being hired in the Montgomery County district.

Before going to Neshaminy three years ago, Copeland was a longtime superintendent in Piscataway Township, N.J., and was named 2007 New Jersey Superintendent of the Year by the Association of School Administrators, according to a news release.

While he was at the helm in 8,500-student Neshaminy, the district introduced full-day kindergarten and wrestled with a decision to close three elementary schools, and build a $34 million school and finance it with a hefty bond issue.

"He is particularly well-prepared to lead our district during a time of increasing challenges in public education," said Lower Merion school board president Robin Vann Lynch in the release.

Lower Merion's acting superintendent, Wagner Marseille, will return to his job as assistant superintendent.

Copeland has a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York and a master's from Rider University. He lives with his wife and two children in Trenton.

A Lower Merion spokesman said he could not disclose Copeland's salary until his contract was finalized. - Kathy Boccella