Ridgway school district superintendent quitting

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Following a closed meeting that lasted a little less than an hour Tuesday, the Ridgway Area School District accepted the resignation of Superintendent Thomas Butler.
Butler wrote to the board in his resignation letter that the decision to resign was a "heart wrenching" one. He has been superintendent for four years.
Butler will be the superintendent of the Penn-Trafford School District in the Greensburg area.
The resignation, which is effective Aug. 8, begins a whirlwind search to find a replacement before the 2011-12 school year begins.
A special meeting will be held July 7 to look over the applications. Interviews will be held July 18 and a decision made by July 20.
Board member Bill Seely said he feels the 25-day window for applicants is too little time and that the whole process feels like it is being rushed.
"This is a process that we're doing. It doesn't mean we're hiring someone in this process," board President Eugene Pierce said. "If there's no one we like, we can readvertise. This is a normal time line to get the applicants in. It might be December before we hire someone. We're not saying we're going to hire someone by July 20."
After Tuesday's meeting, Butler said one of the most memorable parts of his four-year tenure in Ridgway is the way the school board and staff have come together to focus on student achievement and instruction.
"Right now, we have people working hard - the teachers are working hard, the kids are working hard, the board's been focused on their non-negotiable goals and you don't find that too many places," Butler said.
Butler said his parting words to the board and the district are to stay focused.
"The reason our school district is even here at all is because of the kids," Butler said. "Don't forget without the kids we don't exist and we don't have jobs. When it all comes down to it - it's about the kids."
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Reported by Katie Weidenboerner, staff writer. Email: katiew@thecourierexpress.com.