Greensburg Salem School Board will rely on district staff to search for a new superintendent rather than spend $15,000 for a search service offered by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association.

The board also hired a new instructor for the district’s music department, as provided for in the 2021-22 budget.

With Vice President Jeff Metrosky absent, the board voted 6-2 this week to rescind the agreement for the PSBA service that was approved on June 23. At the June session, the board also accepted the resignation of former superintendent Gary Peiffer and approved Ken Bissell, the district’s coordinator of secondary education, as acting superintendent.

Peiffer left to fill the superintendent position at Chartiers-Houston School District in Washington County.

Board President Ronald Mellinger Jr. had second thoughts about using the PSBA service, noting the agreement hadn’t been signed, and he recommended relying instead on the district solicitor and staff.

“When I looked at the contract with PSBA, what we’re paying mostly for is the (candidate) background checks, and I think we have people in place in the district who are capable of providing that to us,” said Mellinger. “Every time we spend a dollar on something outside (the district), that takes away from what we have inside.”

“It does seem like a lot to pay for something we should have the basic knowledge to proceed with,” said board member Lynna Thomas. She pointed out a majority of current board members were in place during the search that resulted in Peiffer’s hiring in July 2018.

Brian Conway and Robin Savage voted against dropping the PSBA service. In addition to candidate background checks and help with reference checks, that search service would have included planning meetings and interview setup, advertising and communications, contract negotiation, and superintendent evaluation support along with a community survey.

Conway expressed concern that the board would limit the field of candidates it can attract without PSBA help.

“One of the things I like about having PSBA do it is that we get a third-party opinion before we get involved in starting the interview process,” he said.

“We can still do a broad search without paying for the service,” Thomas said.

Mellinger said he plans to meet with the district solicitor and human resources director about beginning the search.

The recently passed $48.1 million district budget included funding for an elementary band teacher, a vacant position that students and parents have pleaded to have restored.

At this week’s special meeting, the board hired first-year music teacher Emily Hazlett, at a Step One salary of $53,237. She will begin work on Aug. 27.

A graduate of Seton Hill University, she has worked with children at Norwin, Penn-Trafford and Commodore Perry districts and is certified to teach music in grades K-12, as well as English and math in grades 4-8.

While not able to comment on Hazlett’s placement at the district, Bissell said, “The hire will afford Greensburg Salem the ability to offer general music instruction to all K-5 children, and general music and instrumental music instruction to all fourth- and fifth-grade learners.

“We will also be able to staff our music lab, instrumental and choral selections for grades 6-8, and our music theory, choral and instrumental ensemble, and instrumental music offerings at the high school.”

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