Board Near Decision on MASD Superintendent

Search narrows to one candidate; announcement next week

By Adam Reinherz
The Tube City Almanac
January 10, 2025
Posted in: McKeesport and Region News

McKeesport Area School District has potentially found a new superintendent. School directors will announce the candidate during next Thursday's regular meeting.

Though the announcement was slated to be made during the Jan. 9 open agenda meeting, a requisite letter to school directors regarding the upcoming vote was delayed, according to solicitor Gary Matta.

“The school code says you have to give notice to the board,” Matta said. “The registered letter didn’t go out on time because of the school being closed on Monday, so we just wanted to make sure we followed the regulations.”

Next week’s agenda will include an item to hire the new superintendent. Should that individual be hired, they will replace acting superintendent William Pettigrew, who replaced former superintendent Tia Wanzo. Pettigrew, who was absent from the Jan. 9 meeting, has assisted Albert Educational Consulting with conducting the superintendent search.

School directors hired the consulting group in September at a rate “not to exceed $10,000.”

The efforts led to 28 candidates submitting applications and recorded remarks. School directors reviewed the videos and documents last month. Based on the materials, school directors narrowed the field and met with five candidates around Dec. 23, according to school director David Seropian: “We had two that stood out to us. We discussed them both and we got the person we think’s the best choice.”

Neither Matta nor Seropian disclosed the candidate’s identity.

“He's a superintendent at another district at this time, and I'm intentionally not telling you his name because he hasn't told his current employer he’s being hired,” Matta said.

Once next week’s vote is complete, Matta expects the individual to begin working at MASD within the next two months: The individual’s current district has the right to “hold him” up to 60 days, but “he believes it will be less than that.”

Matta spoke highly of the educator and said he’s known him for years.

“He's been in a few districts, both as a teacher, as an administrator, as a superintendent in this area, so he knows mill kids,” Matta said. “We’re valley people right? We think a little different than the rest of the world, a little smarter than the rest of the world, so he understands. He understands the students, the parents, the families, what's expected here.”

“We wanted somebody with superintendent experience. And the experience he has, he has that,” Seropian said. “He's the total package. We're really happy to hopefully get him on board.”

Matta said the individual has been offered a five-year contract.

School directors may offer superintendents contracts ranging from three to five years, according to the Pennsylvania Public School Code.  

After next week’s vote, MASD plans on introducing its new superintendent to staff, parents and students.

Though still in the planning stages, the goal is to hold a “meet and greet with the community,” followed by several town halls, Seropian said.

Months ago, a survey posted to the district’s website asked community members to identify desirable qualities and characteristics of MASD’s next superintendent.

School directors heeded the responses, Matta and Seropian said.

This is someone who is “visible in the community, is not going to be sitting in the office all the time, a hands-on kind of person,” Seropian said.

“I think he's a proper fit,” Matta said. “And that’s what the board saw.”

Adam Reinherz is a Pittsburgh-based journalist. He can be reached at adam.reinherz@gmail.com.

Originally published January 10, 2025.

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