TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—The Carlstadt-East Rutherford (Becton) Regional High School District announced with pleasure that its chief school administrator and superintendent, Dr. Dario Sforza, has been honored in NJBIZ’s 2021 Forty Under 40 Award program.
Sforza, a Township of Washington resident who joined the district in 2014, was selected for “his leadership, vision, effective communication and dedication to the three communities he serves — each critical components of running a successful school district.”
Chosen by an independent panel of judges and recognized virtually on Sept. 30, Sforza, 39, joins an esteemed list of individuals recognized for their achievements and contributions across their respective industries — spanning healthcare, finance, sports, law, education, and more.
As leaders and pioneers, NJBIZ’s 2021 honorees have each made a lasting impact throughout the Garden State community at large.
Pascack Press readers, particularly in the Township of Washington and Westwood, might recall Sforza, in 2018 the principal at Becton Regional High School, arranged “Operation Vito,” which culminated in the surprise awarding of a Class of 1945 diploma to former German prisoner of war Vito Trause.
Sforza met Trause, a fellow township resident, in the township on Memorial Day 2018 and learned that Trause left his studies at East Rutherford High School, now Becton Regional, in 1943 to fight in the war.
He soaked up Trause’s story, as have generations of young Cardinals. Then he arranged for Trause’s overdue diploma — and awards — to be bestowed at his school’s 2018 commencement.
“This young man spent the end of his junior year on the front lines of World War II as part of the U.S. Army infantry,” Sforza told Pascack Press at the time.
“What would have been his senior year wasn’t so pleasant. Instead of English class, he was captured and held as a prisoner of war under horrible and horrific conditions.”
Trause, 94, died Oct. 31, 2019 following a brief illness. [See our story.]
On Oct. 5, Sforza told Pascack Press, “I learned so many powerful leadership lessons from Vito. He may not have had a doctorate, let alone an official high school diploma until a few years ago, but he had an education and a way of living that far surpassed anything we adequately simulate in schools. Vito knew that titles don’t create leaders: relationships and experience do.”
He added, “When I received the honor of serving as superintendent, Vito gave me one simple reminder: no matter how high up the ladder you climb, never forget about the people that helped you along the way or the people you continue to serve, or they will forget about you.”
Of his inclusion in NJBIZ’s 2021 Forty Under 40 Award program, Sforza said in his district’s press release, “It’s an incredible honor to be chosen for this prestigious award and to represent my local district and the state’s education community among this year’s celebrated roster.”
He said, “The past year and half has challenged all of us in unprecedented ways, but I made it my mission to lead by example and ensure our district persevered and our students’ educational experience was never compromised.”
And he said, “I wasn’t alone, and I’m eternally thankful to my board, faculty, staff, and the families we serve for their unwavering trust and support. Together, we transformed Becton Regional into an exemplary institution, recognized both in Bergen County and across the great state of New Jersey.”
His district said that Sforza was instrumental in transforming it into a model school district and one of the only districts in the state to keep its doors open five days a week for in-person instruction throughout the pandemic.
“An active member in the local community, he continues to be a fixture at a broad range of school-driven community events including fundraisers, awards ceremonies, and sporting events, and helped establish wellness programs, kindness awards, veterans celebrations and military signing days to further solidify the bond between the school and its surrounding communities,” his team said.
It added, “His contributions to his school district extend beyond the pandemic. With over one third of the district’s student population being economically disadvantaged, he continues to work relentlessly to offer all students equitable opportunities.”
Sforza helped expand on the addition of a multi-level, state-of-the-art media center, providing student and community access to the new Katherine Wickle-Ochipa TV Production Studio, the Wellness Center, and additional teaching and learning spaces.
Furthermore, out of 16 Bergen County high school districts, he positioned Becton Regional to be selected as the current home for the Maywood school district — “a $30 million-plus partnership that has already proven to positively change the trajectory of the school.”
He said, “I’ve never been one to settle for the status quo, continually pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved across the education landscape, with the sole benefit of increasing opportunities of success and growth for the children and communities we serve.”
He added, “Together with my team I had the foresight to recognize the benefits of Maywood joining our Becton Regional family, and worked tirelessly to ensure the decision makers understood the tremendous benefits this type of historic partnership would bring.”
A Top-100 Leader
Earlier this year, Sforza was celebrated at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas as one of the Top 100 Leaders in Education by the Global Forum on Education & Learning, a recognition of his dedication and forward-looking vision to the field of education.
Building on his recent success, Sforza also recently submitted plans to construct one of the most advanced energy efficient campus tech expansions in the northeast, which will include state-of-the-art STEM, vocational, and special needs facilities and programs.
To learn more about NJBIZ’s Forty Under 40 Award program, visit njbiz.com/congratulations-the-2021-forty-under-40. For more information on Henry P. Becton Regional High School, visit bectonhs.org.