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Official’s Departure Leaves Questions for MASD
As assistant superintendent heads to Ligonier Valley, what position will be filled?
By Adam Reinherz
The Tube City Almanac
October 27, 2025
Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Outgoing McKeesport Area School District assistant superintendent Matthew Mols has an official start date at Ligonier Valley School District.
Following an Oct. 20 vote by LVSD school board members, Mols will begin his role as superintendent on Nov. 3.
LVSD school board members signaled their enthusiasm for Mols by praising both his “energy” and “perspective.” The comments echo earlier approval from McKeesport Area School District.
“There were some folks who didn’t believe in him. We believed in him,” MASD School Board President Mark Holtzman Sr. said. “He’s pretty damn good.”
For McKeesport resident and retired Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Cynthia Baldwin, Mols’ MASD departure raises a question: will the district recruit an assistant superintendent or assistant to the superintendent?
The inquiry, which Baldwin posed during an Oct. 2 open agenda meeting, referenced MASD’s June 2024 hiring of Mols as assistant to then-superintedent Tia Wanzo (at the time of his initial hiring, Mols lacked requisite certification to serve as assistant superintendent).
Baldwin reiterated during the Oct. 2 meeting that her former criticisms of Mols’ hiring were “never personal”; rather, her concern was with MASD’s process. Mols, she continued, was committed to the task of educational betterment and “appeared to be doing a good job for the students in the McKeesport area.”
In response to Baldwin’s question, Holtzman said on Oct. 2 the decision was one concerning “personnel” before noting the “best available candidate” will be chosen by school directors.
When asked for clarification, Holtzman reiterated that in replacing Mols the district will rely on its “personnel committee.”
“We are going to be wide open,” he continued. Whether Mols is replaced by an assistant superintendent, an assistant to the superintendent or someone holding another title, the process will be “above board.”
There is no scheduled school board meeting in November. MASD school directors are slated to meet again on Dec. 4 for an open agenda meeting.
Before being named LVSD superintendent, Mols had a lengthy tenure at MASD. During a nearly 20-year career in McKeesport, Mols held roles including assistant superintendent, assistant to the superintendent, assistant principal and director of the Career & Technology Center at McKeesport Area High School.
During an Oct. 1 LVSD special meeting, Mols was referred to as an “outstanding choice” to guide Ligonier’s schools.
Mols, speaking to LVSD school directors on Oct. 1, thanked the group for their support and “confidence,” and said, “Being appointed superintendent is both an honor and responsibility I take very seriously. Ligonier Valley schools are the heart of this community, and I’m committed to work collaboratively with educators, families and students to ensure every child has an opportunity to thrive.”
Adam Reinherz is a Pittsburgh-based journalist. He can be reached at adam.reinherz@gmail.com.
Originally published October 27, 2025.
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