LOYALTON - A familiar face has returned to the Upper Dauphin Area administrative team as the search continues for a new superintendent.
The school board hired long-time educator Evan Williams on Dec. 20 as the district's new middle school principal. He replaces Abbey Walshaw-Wertz, who accepted a position as director of education for the Shikellamy School District.
Williams, whose first day back in the school district was Jan. 2, served the Upper Dauphin Area School District as a teacher and administrator from 1986 to 2009. He then accepted an assistant superintendent position in the Waynesboro School District.
"We are very happy to welcome him back to the district and wish him much luck and success in his new role," said Superintendent Paul Caputo, who leaving UDA to assume the superintendent post at Southern Columbia Area.
Williams started his career at UDA in 1986 as an English teacher, becoming the department chairman in 1988. He served in these dual roles until 2002 when he was hired as a district administrator. His administrative duties included coordinating the district's curriculum and instruction efforts, heading its federal programs and serving as an assistant principal for both the high school and middle school. He capped his service to the district as elementary principal from 2006 until 2009.
Williams was hired at an annual pro-rated salary of $85,821.
At the UDA school board's January meeting, President John Blyler announced that about four prospective superintendent candidates to replace Caputo have been identified and were slated to be invited for interviews with the search committee. The top two candidates would then meet with the full board for a final interview, he said.
In other business, the board approved a three-year contract with an annual salary of $52,000 for Business Manager Mary K. Bateman with a 7-0 vote. Board members Jack Laudenslager and Anthony Matter were absent.
The board also approved:
- a request for retirement from Robert Hamera to retire at the end of the 2012-13 school year. Blyler thanked Hamera and noted that the man had 40 years of service to the district.
- Jillian Palamar as a speech and language pathologist at a salary of $46,974
- Eliminating the employment of Christina Campbell as a personal care aide, effective Jan. 9, for economic reasons
- Martha Altland for a 50-cents per hour increase for obtaining first aid and CPR training, retroactive to Oct. 18, 2012
- a request from Jennifer Unverdorben for an additional five days of unpaid leave
- classified and instructional substitutes
- the purchase of new softball uniforms
- program volunteers
- a request from the seventh-grade class for a field trip to Washington, D.C., from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. May 2
- a request from Megan Wallisch for unpaid leave through the first day of the fourth academic marking period.
- committing fund balance amounts of $2,262,222.65 for Capital Projects and $565,555.66 to PSERS Reserve.
- the first reading of 100-level and 200-level policies.
- the purchase of K-12 Sapphire as the district's student information system.
- the high school course selection booklet, noting one quarter-credit course would be re-examined to see if it should be listed as a requirement or a highly recommended elective, or to see if the course could be offered to underclassmen.