On Aug. 19, the Salisbury Township school board held its regular monthly meeting via Zoom. The agenda for the evening listed a large number of personnel changes – 62, to be exact. Most notable among them was the appointment of Lynn Fuini-Hetten, current associate superintendent, to the role of superintendent of the Salisbury Township School District effective Jan. 1, 2021 through June of 2025. She will replace Superintendent Dr. Randy Zeigenfuss, who will retire at the close of the year.

A public comment period at the outset of the meeting allowed community members to comment on upcoming agenda items. Several speakers mentioned their displeasure at choosing a new superintendent from within, rather than organizing a wider search for candidates to fill the position.

In response, school board President George Gatanis said, “As recently as April, the entire board came to a unanimous consensus on offering her the job,” he continued. “She’s had distinguished performance reviews since day one in every position she’s had. She’s been here for 25 years and understands how the district operates. At a moment’s notice, she has always filled any need the district has had, with no questions. She knows education inside out. Her experience is priceless.”

Gatanis went on to mention the public has also made an outcry against a “top heavy” administration, and in response to this, Fuini-Hetten has agreed to assume the superintendent position without an assistant, which would allow for significant savings in the district’s budget.

There was a roll call vote to approve Fuini-Hetten for superintendent, during which time board member Sarah Nemitz said she felt she had been misrepresented in Gatanis’ description of the decision as unanimous. She mentioned she had inquired about a community search several months ago, and was told previous attempts at finding a candidate in this manner had yielded poor results and hence would not be pursued as a viable option in finding a replacement for Zeigenfuss.

Both Nemitz and board member Joseph Gnall said they would have appreciated a job announcement available to the public simply to get a greater sense of what other candidates are in the marketplace. Both Nemitz and Gnall did say they respect and appreciate Fuini-Hetten and did indeed vote yes to approve her for the role.

The board unanimously passed the approval of Fuini-Hetten becoming Salisbury Township’s superintendent for a term of five years.

“Thank you to the board for the opportunity. It’s been a tough night and tough experience for all of you volunteering your time,” Fuini-Hetten said. “For the public, I’ve been working toward this for my entire career.”

The other personnel changes on the agenda included the resignation of five staff members including Nancy Thomas, part-time physical education and health teacher at Salisbury Middle School, Jennifer Roth, part-time comprehensive support teacher at Salisbury Elementary School, Amanda Szumigraj-Holschwander, full-time learning support teacher at SES, Kevin Johnson as head rifle coach and James Silberman as the SMS assistant field hockey coach.

The board approved hiring Tara Mossman, of Boyertown, as the coordinator of human resources with a 4-year contract. The board also approved 45 additional building or assignment transfers for employees already within the district.

The board also voted to approve an updated school calendar, which takes into account the adjusted start date of Sept. 8 for students.

The next regular school board meeting is scheduled 7:30 p.m. Sept. 16.