New principal selected for Glen Ridge High School

GLEN RIDGE, NJ — Louis A. Melchor, a veteran educational leader, has been selected as the next principal of Glen Ridge High School. The appointment was announced by Superintendent Dirk Phillips and approved by the Board of Education on Nov. 16.

For the past six years, Melchor has served as principal of the North Warren Regional School, in Blairstown, an institution that encompasses grades seven through 12. During his tenure at North Warren, he has focused on implementing student-centered, multi-disciplinary learning; increasing the quality and quantity of professional development for faculty; and raising achievement levels for all students. Under Melchor’s leadership, North Warren has achieved local, state and national recognition, including listings on the AP Honor Roll, the Washington Post’s roster of “Most Challenging High Schools by State,” Newsweek’s list of “America’s Best High Schools,” and Inside New Jersey’s “Top Performing Public High Schools for Academics and the Arts.”

Prior to his time in North Warren, Melchor spent three years as principal of Mount Pleasant Middle School in Livingston, a unique sixth grade-only institution. Using a collaborative model, Melchor focused on the twin goals of achieving the academic excellence expected by the community while meeting the varied challenges inherent in a student population on the cusp of the transition to adolescence.

Melchor received his Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from New Jersey City University, where he also earned two master’s degrees. He is an accomplished, classically trained guitarist and has performed at many New Jersey and New York venues, including Carnegie Hall.

“Louis Melchor brings a great combination of enthusiasm and ability to GRHS,” said Phillips. “He has a track record of educational innovation and a focus on continuous school improvement. He studies and embraces new ideas; then implements change by building consensus among stakeholders. Like former Superintendent John Mucciolo, Louis has a love of and commitment to the arts that informs and enriches his work as an administrator.

I am confident that he can help us take Glen Ridge High School to the next level.”
Mr. Melchor expects to join the GRHS staff on January 19.