WEST CAPE MAY — Robert Garguilo cannot seem to stay retired. After formally ending a 30-year career with retirement as the chief school administrator at the Folsom School District in Atlantic County in 2013, Garguilo has had stints as interim superintendent at Northfield and Estell Manor.
He has just taken on new challenges once again as interim superintendent for the West Cape May School District for 2018-2019.
The West Cape May School District has a small but stable enrollment of just under 100 students, but it is heavily dependent on the state School Choice program for roughly half of those students.
In that sense, Garguilo brings added benefit to his role. He also serves as an officer of the non-profit New Jersey Interdistrict Public School Choice Association, a group which advocates for the School Choice program with state officials.
Garguilo believes in school choice. For districts like West Cape May, dependence on enrollment from the program means making the school the best and most attractive it can be for out-of-district parents. “We have to be good,” he said.
When asked about growing the enrollment in West Cape May, Garguilo was quick to respond that one goal is to convince the state to lift the cap on choice students.
He maintains that there are students who want to come to the district and would if the cap were lifted.
Garguilo is in constant motion at the small school nestled off the main arteries of the West Cape May borough. In addition to the expected duties of the superintendent, Garguilo makes tables, negotiates for refurbished equipment, repairs furniture and even sets up a media area that will record student performances and feed the video to a new YouTube channel he has created.
Garguilo makes his home in Brigantine with his wife of 32 years, Cecelia. Together they raised three sons in the area.
Garguilo is a committed surfer and says he still finds time to challenge the waves at the Jersey shore.
Garguilo sees himself as a “collaborative and proactive” leader who enjoys “working with all stakeholders.” His open-door policy was evident on a recent visit to the school where a simple walk down the hall invited multiple conversations with employees.
Ending a conversation that was supposed to be about him, Garguilo’s parting remark returned the focus to where he felt it belonged. “It’s all about the kids,” he said.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.
Cape May – Last week I witnessed a woman helping a man who seemed to be having difficulty getting up in the water. the next thing I saw was she also was injured. My Uber ride was there to take me to the…
