Dr. Matthew Friedman (Credit: Quakertown Community School District)
The Quakertown Community School District announced Friday that Superintendent Dr. Matthew Friedman has taken leave, effective immediately.
In a statement attributed to the Board of School Directors and released through the district’s communications office, officials said the board is limited in what it can share.
“Because this is a personnel matter, the Board is limited in the amount of information it can share at this time,” the statement read.
The board has appointed Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lisa Hoffman to oversee day-to-day district operations during Friedman’s absence. District officials expressed confidence that instructional programs, student services and other operations will continue without interruption.
“The Board remains committed to transparency, accountability, and maintaining the trust of our students, staff, families, and community,” the statement said. “Our primary focus continues to be the well-being of our students and the stability of the district.”
It was not immediately clear when or if Friedman would return, according to the Bucks County Herald.
Friedman began leading the district at the start of the 2023-24 school year after being unanimously approved by the board in summer 2023 to succeed former Superintendent Dr. William Harner, who retired after nearly a decade in the role, per the report.
Friedman signed a four-year contract with a starting salary of $207,000.
Before coming to Quakertown, Friedman served briefly as superintendent of the Ocean City School District (NJ) and previously worked as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in the South Orange Maplewood School District in New Jersey.
Last summer, Friedman was selected for the 2025-26 cohort of the Google GSV Education Innovation Fellowship and was appointed one of Pennsylvania’s representatives on the 2025-26 AASA Governing Board, a national organization for school system leaders. There had been no prior indication that participation in either program would require a leave of absence.
No additional details were released Friday.
According to his school district biography, Friedman, a married father of three, received his doctorate in educational leadership from Gwynedd Mercy University and has two master's degrees in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University, and in science education from Duquesne.
