The Bangor Area School District administration soon will be getting a new look.
The district is searching for a new superintendent and also someone to replace a longtime school board member.
Superintendent Frank DeFelice announced he will be resigning as district superintendent so he can accept a job as assistant executive director of Colonial Intermediate Unit 20.
Also, school board member Kevin Pruett will step down at the end of February.
“This leadership opportunity presents various administrative challenges and duties of which I am interested in pursuing at this period in my professional career,” DeFelice wrote in an email.
DeFelice’s responsibilities in the district will remain consistent until a formal transition plan is endorsed by the Bangor Area School Board.
The board will schedule a special meeting soon so it can discuss how best to fill the position that DeFelice has held since 2013, according to board President Michael Goffredo.
“The entire board and the entire school community wish Dr. DeFelice the best of luck,” Goffredo said.
The board will discuss a variety of options to hunt for a new top administrator and may enlist an outside service for a statewide or nationwide search, he said.
“We want the best and the brightest, and most capable,” Goffredo said.
Though the board may start with a broad approach, there are several eligible candidates among the current district personnel, according to Goffredo.
“We are looking for the best candidate, who very well may be within the district,” Goffredo said.
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To qualify to become a school’s superintendent in Pennsylvania, a candidate can follow one of two routes.
In the traditional route, an individual must have a bachelor’s degree, complete a graduate-level program of educational administrative study and have at least six years of teaching experience with at least three of those in a supervisory or administrative capacity.
Alternatively, superintendents can be hired from outside the educational field if an individual holds a graduate degree in business, finance or management and has four years of relevant work experience in the fields of business or industry.
The alternative route requires completion of a leadership development program, which meets state standards, during the superintendent’s initial contract term.
Pruett is leaving the school board due to his job moving out of state, Goffredo said.
The board will choose someone at their March 20 meeting to fill Pruett’s seat — an appointment that will last until Dec. 4. Interested applicants should contact the district business office for information on how to apply.
John Best is a freelance writer. Find lehighvalleylive on Facebook.
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