Palmerton Area School District will be in the market for a new superintendent after Dr. Jodi Frankelli was unanimously hired Thursday night by Allentown School District to fill an administrative opening.

Allentown hired Frankelli as its executive director of early learning at a salary of $142,500 with a start date to be determined.

Frankelli was initially hired in 2020 at a salary of $125,000. Palmerton was her first superintendent job after a stint in the Bethlehem Area School District as both an elementary principal and later the supervisor of early learning, grants and development.

During her initial three years, Frankelli helped lead the district through the COVID-19 pandemic transition from a hybrid in-person/at-home class schedule to a full-time return to the classroom.

Palmerton renewed Frankelli’s contract in March 2023 when it agreed to a pact that would run through June 30, 2028. The contract called for Frankelli to make $145,000 in 2023-24 with a 3.5% increase for each of the remaining years.