Pleasant Valley’s plan to hire three new administrators from outside the district met with pushback Thursday night.

The district has eliminated the dean of students positions at the intermediate and elementary schools. The positions are now full-time assistant principal assignments. Staff who previously held those positions were given the opportunity to apply for the new positions, but the board chose to hire from outside the district instead.

Gary Shupp of Chestnuthill Township said he was disappointed that the district did not choose to hire Kelli George, the former dean of students at Pleasant Valley Intermediate to fill one of the positions at PVI.

“Mrs. George has 23 years of experience with the district in various positions,” he said. “I hear that she has gained the respect of a lot of the teachers and so many of them are here tonight. This is the time when the board has to step up and do the right thing.”

District Superintendent David Piperato is completing his first year in the district and took offense to some of the comments which were directed at the hiring process.

“I was hired to bring the best and the brightest,” Piperato said. “One of the common themes when I was hired was to eliminate cronyism and nepotism.

“We have worked to establish an ethical hiring practice.”

Piperato listed the objectives that the hiring process is built on hiring the best candidates for each position by using a multiphase comprehensive process that includes interviews, reference check and determining each candidates fit for the position.

Piperato said that while the interview committee is an integral part of the process it is the board and the administration that makes the ultimate decision on hiring.

Piperato also made a point of noting that in his career he has worked in five counties and has worked with some very talented teachers and administrators.

“If I have to eliminate everyone who I ever worked with from consideration we would miss out on some very talented candidates.”

Directors Laura Jecker and Donna Yozwiak voted no on the new hires.

“I have always supported hiring internally from the Pleasant Valley School District and will continue to advocate to hire the most qualified candidates from within,” said Yozwiak. “Since the taxpayers have invested thousands of dollars to further educate our professional staff with additional certifications and credentials, it is sound fiscal responsibility to hire these accomplished candidates for our administrative teams.”

New administrators

The board voted to hire Todd Breiner to replace Cassandra Herr as principal at Pleasant Valley Intermediate School. Herr took a position as principal at a school closer to her home.

Breiner is a graduate of East Stroudsburg University and has done graduate work at Kutztown and Penn State universities. He holds a Bachelor of Science in health and physical science and a Master’s in secondary education and instruction. He has most recently been a principal in the East Penn School District. He will earn $95,000 per year.

Sabrina Albright was hired to serve as assistant principal at Pleasant Valley Elementary. Albright comes from the Allentown School District, where she taught second grade. She holds a Bachelor of Science in sociology and elementary education and Master’s degrees in classroom technology and educational leadership. She attended Moravian College as an undergraduate and Wilkes University for her graduate degrees.

Albright will earn $73,000 per year.

Kendal Askins was hired to fill the assistant principal’s position at PVI. Askins is a graduate of Queens College with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics education and a Master’s degree in mathematics education. She attended Queens College and Wilkes University graduate programs.

Askins most recently served as a gifted teacher in the East Stroudsburg School District. She will earn $73,000 per year.

Other business

In other business, Director Dan Wunder asked the board to consider sending out a letter of thanks to the faculty and staff on the last day of the school year. The letter was voted down by the board. Yozwiak did not agree with the letter because she thought it did not include enough of the accomplishments of the district, and did not include the students and faculty accomplishments from the Monroe Career and Technical Institute.

Board President Len Peeters did not approve the letter because he felt that some of the letter was too specific.

In the end, Wunder asked that the letter be included in the minutes as “his personal feelings” toward the staff and faculty of the district.