WEEHAWKEN TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT
53 Liberty Place Weehawken, NJ 07086
Office 201.422.6126
Mr. Eric Crespo
Superintendent of Schools
April 5, 2020
Dear Weehawken Staff,
Yesterday we were shocked by the news that our beloved Board President, Mr. Richard Barsa, passed away. Mr. Barsa devoted his life to the children of the Weehawken Township School District and he has left an indelible mark on this Township. Mr. Barsa was a proud graduate of Weehawken High School. He was a long time resident and employee of Weehawken Township. He served over ten terms on the Weehawken Board of Education as a Trustee and then as President. Under Mr. Barsa’s leadership, the school district flourished, as course offerings were expanded, technology was infused and students were accepted to top-notch colleges and universities.
But more importantly, when students needed financial, emotional or academic help, he always found a way. He was relentless in his pursuits and made sure every student received what he or she needed, whether someone needed a prom dress, funding for a summer program, or tutoring. He always found a way.
Mr. Barsa was adored by the faculty, support staff, administration, fellow Board Trustees and most importantly the students. In addition to his tight-knit and loving family, Mr. Barsa’s legacy is and always has been the students. He positively impacted the education and lives of thousands of students.
When hearing of the news of Mr. Barsa's passing, I did what any leader would do, I put on my brave face, strong voice and ended up weeping for most of the day. I guess that didn’t go exactly how I had planned. I was overcome with emotion, as this man that I had only known for a year treated me like family, and most importantly accepted me as a Weehawkenite. As the day went on, I decided to look over my emails from the past week and social media posts. During that time, I became overwhelmed with pride as I read emails over the last week from parents praising the staff and administration for their preparation and continued commitment to excellence. I saw posts on social media of happy students as caring teachers communicated with them and delivered creative lessons. I knew at that moment that Mr. Barsa’s legacy would live on as one of the main architects of what we do and how we do it. WEE will miss him, WEE will remember, WEE will be resilient, and WEE will make him proud.
Thank you for all you do, I couldn’t be in a better school district, with a better group of people.
Eric Crespo