Meet Sussex County ESP of the Year Donna Caputo
By Kathryn Coulibaly
Donna Caputo must have an inexhaustible source of energy. It’s the only way to explain the fact that after only four years working as a paraprofessional in the Lafayette Township School District, she is already one of the union’s vice presidents, the co-chair for PEP and FAST grants and, the organizer behind all of the fun activities.
“The joke is that I’m in charge of shenanigans,” Caputo says, but really, it just sounds like she’s in charge.
Caputo is the go-to person for paraprofessionals in the district, helping them with problems and questions. Although she works one-on-one with one student, colleagues often call her when students are having behavioral challenges. She works with the business office to plan the holiday party and the Halloween “boo buckets.” She coordinates the Secret Santa exchange and the end-of-year “Thank You Day” when the staff show appreciation to those who helped them throughout the year. She also served on the negotiations team last year and enjoys keeping other members informed on what’s going on in the district.
Growing up in Rutherford, Caputo began down a very different path from the one she finds herself on now.
“I am a licensed aircraft mechanic,” Caputo says. “Before 9/11, I worked on the news helicopters and tour helicopters, but after that, the industry changed. I went into customer service and sales, but after the pandemic, I couldn’t stand sitting behind a desk.”
Caputo has been volunteering to work with children for more than 30 years, with a variety of organizations. One of her friends who works in education encouraged her to bring her passion for youth to work in the schools.
“I didn’t want to be a teacher because I didn’t want to do lesson plans,” Caputo recalls. “I applied to be a para, and I fell in love with it. My favorite students are the ones other people think are ‘too much.‘”
Caputo enjoys working in Lafayette precisely because it’s a small, close-knit community.
“The school buses go past my house,” Caputo said, “Most of the students know me. I get to watch them grow up.”
Dedication to her students and community
Caputo is one of the only paraprofessionals in the district who does not have children of her own. She and her husband tried adoption and experienced pregnancy loss.
“I think the paras who aren’t parents get missed,” she said. “People make assumptions. But the students know I don’t have kids. They’ll ask me why, and I explain that it doesn’t happen for everyone. The ones who have challenging home environments offer to come and live with me. I laugh and say,’That’s OK, I’m with you more than if we lived together!’”
In addition to her work with the schools and the union, Caputo serves on the Episcopal Diocese of Newark First Third of Life Commission on Children and Families Ministry. She is also the chairwoman for the Convention Arrangements Committee and runs an annual convention for up to 500 people. She has volunteered as a youth minister for more than 20 years in Rutherford and has developed youth programs for more than 30 years with organizations such as the Girl Scouts and other organizations.
“When people complain that their lives aren’t fulfilling, I tell them to find their passion and get involved with that,” Caputo says. “That’s why I’m so involved with everything.”
A family tradition of ESP excellence
Caputo was honored to follow in her aunt’s direct footsteps as the Sussex County ESP of the Year. Alice O’Connor, the 2024-25 Sussex County ESP of the Year, is her mother’s little sister.
“I get a kick out of it,” Caputo says. “I thought it was so cool when I was announced as the Lafayette ESP of the Year. When I found out that two different teachers wrote letters about me to nominate me at the county level, I was so touched. We’re one of the smallest school districts, and we don’t always get acknowledged.”
This summer, Caputo and her husband refinished a table for the school conference room.
“That’s the kind of district we have,” Caputo says. “The business administrator is going to tell the students who sit there for detention that I refinished the table for them. My husband is very hands on. He’s always saying, ‘What are we doing now?‘”