JEFFERSON — The Jefferson Township school community is mourning the loss of longtime educator and administrator Dr. Michael Frank Valenti Jr., who died on Sunday, July 26, 2026, at the age of 56.
Valenti, a Mount Arlington resident, dedicated more than two decades of his professional career to Jefferson Township Public Schools, serving as a principal and touching the lives of generations of students, families, teachers and staff members.
According to his obituary from Leber-Lakeside Funeral Home, Valenti was born March 20, 1970, in San Gabriel, California, to Mary Tallon Valenti and the late Michael F. Valenti Sr. He was raised in Southern California before moving to New Jersey after high school and eventually settling in Mount Arlington.
Valenti earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Management and Policy for kindergarten through grade 12 education and devoted his career to education.
For more than 20 years, Valenti served as a principal in the Jefferson Township school district. He spent years leading White Rock Elementary School and was reassigned as principal of Jefferson Township High School effective July 1, 2025. At the time, the district announced that Valenti was on an extended medical leave and said the school community continued to keep him in its thoughts. Jefferson Township Public Schools
In June, Valenti was among 20 retiring Jefferson Township educators and staff members recognized for their combined hundreds of years of service to the district. Valenti was honored for 20 years of service.
