14 / matters magazine / school 2026 to show how deeply San chez cares about the stu dent body. He’s cool with being called by his first name. He’s got a fun sto ry about how it started: “I first started at Colum bia during COVID, so I never met anybody. So I used to send a weekly email … and my email signature was, ‘thanks, Frank’ right?” “It wasn’t until they got here in April that year when everybody started calling me Frank. And I was like, ‘Oh, why?’ At my last school district, they called me Mr. Sanchez!” To him, this is evi dence of how special his school is. It’s clear to him that Columbia – with its extraordinary diversity and diver sity of opinion, robust and accessible athletic and arts programs and tal ented and caring faculty – is unique. “What makes Columbia, Co lumbia is that it’s electric. I think that’s probably why we have so many successful creative people who have graduated from here. It’s not just a coincidence that that has happened. It’s because, I hope, I think, the teachers and the administration set up parameters, and then students can do from there what they want. And they can be creative and inde pendent and I think that’s what’s magical.” Sanchez has faced his fair share of personal turmoil in the past few years. He was arrested on charges of battery and child endangerment in 2024 and suspended from his position. He was reinstated only when the charges were dropped, following a grand jury’s de cision not to indict him. These events constitute what San chez refers to as “my lowest point.” They stemmed from allegations that Sanchez physically slammed a stu dent against a wall in the process of breaking up a fight in March 2023. In those times especially, he’s re minded of how special this district is. “The community stood up for me,” he says, “stood up and rallied, sup ported my family. They didn’t need to do that.” And as to why he chose to come back after he was reinstated, “This place is magical. I really do feel that way. I drive an hour to get here every day, and it’s a special place. The stu dents are awesome, you know, they really are. It’s an exciting, exciting place. So, I mean, I’m addicted to that type of excitement here. I didn’t think twice about coming back.” Columbia is many things, in many senses of the phrase. Every day I walk through different rooms constructed decades apart. The same halls where the wires can be seen fall ing from the ceiling have intricate, beautiful murals made by students, the result of four or more expertly led arts classes. It all confused me when I was a freshman – so did ev eryone calling the principal “Frank.” Columbia is wonderful and com plicated. Columbia is not an ordi nary school. That’s all right. Frank Sanchez is not an ordinary principal. If Nathaniel Kraemer feels any elec tricity in the air at Columbia High School, he’ll be calling PSE&G imme diately. He’s currently a senior there. Principal Frank Sanchez is grateful for a community that "stood up for me." Photo by Joy Yagid. Find Community. Deepen Connection. Take Action. If you or someone you know is looking for a spiritual home, we’d love to welcome you to TSTI for the High Holy Days. Please contact Alicia Karlberg at akarlberg@tstinj.org or 973-763-4116 x270. 432 Scotland Road, South Orange, NJ | www.tsti.org YOM KIPPUR Sept 21 2:30 pm Family Service Sept 21 3:30 pm Afternoon Service EREV ROSH HASHANAH Sept 11 5:30 pm Come As You Are ROSH HASHANAH Sept 12 2:30 pm Family Service The Reform Congregation in South Orange
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