Dr. La’Quetta S. Small, the first Atlantic City resident and first Black woman to serve as superintendent of the Atlantic City Public Schools district, has been awarded a five-year contract beginning in 2026, with her salary increasing from $282,000 to $319,866 by the final year of the agreement.
The Atlantic City Board of Education voted 6-0, to approve the new contract, extending Dr. Small’s leadership through June 2031. Board of Education President Shay Steele praised Small’s leadership and the district’s progress under her direction.
“It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with Dr. Small. When Dr. Small was faced with personal adversities, this board understood the character of Dr. Small and the Small family,” Steele said. “We know what Dr. Small and the Small family is about. This board totally supports her. We just want to say thank you to Dr. Small and we’re looking forward to bigger and better things.”
District Growth and Capital Improvements
Dr. Small currently oversees a $296 million budget and has led efforts that resulted in tax decreases for Atlantic City residents during each year of her tenure. Looking ahead, the district is planning major capital projects, including the construction of a new state-of-the-art administration building on the site of the former New Jersey Avenue School, along with renovations across district facilities.
“I would like to humbly thank the Atlantic City Board of Education for their confidence in my leadership during the past four-and-a-half years as superintendent and my previous 15 years as a district administrator,” Dr. Small said. “I look forward to serving the next five years and ensuring that our district continues moving in a positive direction.”
A Career Built in Atlantic City
A Newark native, Dr. Small began her career in education in 2000 as a teacher at Morton Street Middle School before joining Atlantic City Public Schools in 2003 as a teacher at New Jersey Avenue School. Over the past 26 years, she has steadily risen through the ranks, serving as vice principal at Uptown School Complex, principal at Pennsylvania Avenue School, and later principal of Atlantic City High School.
She was appointed superintendent in January 2022.
Community Leaders Rally Behind Dr. Small
Many community members spoke in favor of Dr. Small before the board took its vote.
Atlantic City Council Vice President Kaleem Shabazz, who is also president of the Atlantic City Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, spoke of Dr. Small’s demonstrated leadership.
“Her work has proven that she has risen to the job. I would encourage and urge this board to extend her contract,” said Shabazz. “I think it’s important that we have
leaders that not only believe in education but believe in inspiring other people to do their best. I believe Dr. Small has done that.”
Mohammad Islam, president of the Bangladeshi Association of South Jersey, focused on her accessibility and responsiveness.
“She always answers my call. When we have a problem, she solves it,” Islam said. “We don’t want to lose that kind of leader.”
Atlantic City Education Association President Stacey Sweeny also commended Dr. Small because contract negotiations were settled in seven months, when such matters can often drag on for more than a year. Imam Amin Muhammad, of Masjid Muhammad, framed the board’s vote in terms of preserving positive images and legacy-building. Muhammad urged the board to extend the superintendent’s contract, in part because Dr. Small is someone students can genuinely look up to.
“It is our job to ensure that a legacy of inclusion remains. You have a chance to leave an image in the minds of people that may last 100 years,” Muhammad told the board. “You have that responsibility to leave a legacy for future generations and an image that shines.” Joyce Mollineaux, of the New Jersey State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, stressed that Dr. Small had earned her renewal based on “performance and work.”
“She deserves it because she’s doing the work,” said Mollineaux. “If you are an employee, you would want to get a raise from your evaluation. All unions, when contracts expire, want their employees to get a raise. Therefore, I stand here today, urging this board to continue moving in the right direction.”
Educational Background and Board Vote
Dr. Small’s academic credentials reflect her longstanding commitment to education. She graduated as valedictorian from Central High School in Newark in 1994 and earned dual bachelor’s degrees in education and public health from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. She holds a master’s degree in educational administration from Kean University and a doctorate in educational leadership from Rowan University. Board President Steele, Board Vice President Walter Johnson, Subrata Chowdhury, Torres Mayfield, Kashawn McKinley, and Donnell Holland, Sr., all voted yes to approve her contract. Ronald Bailey, who is involved in ongoing litigation against the superintendent, was not permitted to vote because of the conflict. MD Muhammad A. Siddik was absent.
Family Celebration Following Vote
Following the vote, Mayor Small and members of her family publicly celebrated Dr. Small.
“Tonight is all about her,” Mayor Small said. “I’m very proud of her. We’ve been together for 32 years, married 19 years, and I always knew she was destined for greatness.”
Under the terms of her new contract beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, Dr. Small’s salary will increase incrementally until it reaches $319,866. The superintendent said she remains focused on facility upgrades and strengthening connections with the Atlantic City community. “She remained resilient through our personal storm,” Mayor Small said. “I’m proud she is getting this extension. It’s well deserved.”
