News

The Manheim Township Board of School Directors approved Dr. Felty’s retirement notice at the Thursday, September 19, 2024 School Board Meeting. During the meeting she provided this statement of gratitude and appreciation for her time as Superintendent in the district. The board will now begin the planning process to hire a new superintendent.

The initial phase of planning begins in October 2024 with the hiring of an acting/interim superintendent while the board moves forward in its search for a new permanent superintendent. The October 17, 2024 School Board Meeting will include the approval of an acting/interim superintendent as well as a review and discussion about search firms for the board to interview.

Hiring an acting/interim superintendent 

The school board received legal counsel from the district solicitor in its planning for the next steps of the process, which included information about hiring an acting/interim superintendent and the hiring of a superintendent search firm. Per Pennsylvania law, a public school district must have a school superintendent under contract every day. Along these lines, the 24 P.S. §10-1079 enacts a board of school directors to fill a superintendent vacancy with an acting superintendent or acting assistant superintendent. Once the Board approves a short-term acting/interim superintendent at the October 17 Board Meeting, effective in December 2024, they will then focus on the process for searching for a new permanent long-term replacement for a superintendent.  

Hiring a superintendent search firm 

In addition to ensuring compliance by having an acting/interim superintendent in place by December 2024, the board is also committed to the implementation of a thorough and transparent process for replacing the superintendent. Such a process shows the board’s desire to be diligent and intentional in its efforts to find the next permanent superintendent for Manheim Township School District. 

Hiring a permanent superintendent is much different than hiring an acting/interim superintendent. It involves a more comprehensive process that is labor-intensive, time oriented, and heavily focused on stakeholder involvement. Using a search firm allows for a fair, neutral third party to manage all of the necessary components of the search process. Therefore, with guidance from the search firm, the board will implement a comprehensive hiring plan that engages all school district stakeholders while facilitating a thorough application and interview process–one that is not rushed and hurried, and promotes transparency.

With Dr. Felty’s retirement slated for December 2024, the superintendent search process will be facilitated in the winter and early spring months. The goal is to have a new permanent superintendent in place during the summer of 2025, which allows for a good foundation to be established when school begins in the fall. 

Selecting a superintendent is a decision of enormous significance to our community, our staff, and most importantly, our 6,000+ students. We will continue to keep our community updated throughout the superintendent search process. These updates will be posted on our school district website.