Get to know Bellefonte’s new superintendent, a former music teacher turned administrator 

Bellefonte Area School District’s new superintendent is focusing on keeping tempo as he settles into the position ahead of the 2024-2025 school year.

Rakszawski was selected from three candidates in April to take over the position from Tammie Burnaford, who retired at the end of June. Before arriving in Bellefonte, Rakszawski was superintendent of Edgewater Park School District, a K-8 school system in New Jersey consisting of an elementary and middle school.

A lifelong musician, Rakszawski grew up playing drums and percussion instruments — even once accompanying Aretha Franklin in 1997. He worked as a professional musician for several years in Philadelphia and Atlantic City and taught music for 13 years in New Jersey.

His experience in music and directing bands helped him transition into the role of school administrator and, eventually, superintendent.

“When you think about what a band director does, they’re standing in front of a large group of students — mixed grade levels, different instruments, which is like different content areas, different skill levels, different challenges,” Rakszawski said. “Yet the band director’s job is to create this shared vision, to bring everybody together and move everybody forward. So it’s really very similar to school leadership when you look at it that way.”

Since starting on July 15, Rakszawski has been meeting with members of the administrative team as well as district stakeholders. Drawing on his experience as a drummer, he said the superintendent role is about compromise as well as leadership.

Part of a superintendent’s job, he said, is to know how to keep tempo.

“A big part of that was learning to know when to lead and knowing when to follow to yield because I can’t always just say, ‘well, this is how you’re going to do it — my way, my tempo right?’” Rakszawski said. “Otherwise, it could be a train wreck. So I learned that sometimes I just had to give a little bit. So that kind of give-and-take approach really does well in school leadership as well.”

In his second week with the district, Rakszawski said he’s focused on listening and learning about ways to continue improving the district. One of his goals is to update the facilities maintenance plan, which includes the construction of the new Bellefonte Elementary building that began June 21.

He also plans to look at bullying in schools and if bullying reporting protocols and policies from New Jersey could be used at BASD.

“I think I’m going to have a lot to offer there and I’m not saying I would take the New Jersey policy and drop it here,” Rakszawski said. “One size fits all approach is not a good idea. But I think there’s some elements of that approach that may be beneficial to this district.”

Classes resume Aug. 27 for all Bellefonte students. The district is hosting a meet and greet for community members to get to know Rakszawski at 7 p.m. Thursday at Bellefonte Area High School.

This story was originally published July 23, 2024 at 12:35 PM.