New High School Principal Search Still Ongoing

Tyrone+Area+High+School+should+have+a+new+high+school+principal+by+the+end+of+the+school+year.+

Lucia Isenberg

Tyrone Area High School should have a new high school principal by the end of the school year.

The search for a replacement for former Tyrone High School Principal Tom Yoder, who retired in mid-March, is still ongoing and the position is unlikely to be filled before the end of the 2022 school year, according to District Superintendant Leslie Estep.

The district originally posted the job vacancy on December 13th, with an application deadline of January 5, 2022.

It was reposted in order to give the selection committee some additional candidates to consider before making a final recommendation to the school board

— Superintendent Leslie Estep

Several candidates were interviewed in January and February and the selection committee chose a candidate to recommend to the school board at their March meeting.

However, that candidate turned down the district’s offer. Estep said the district cannot disclose the name of the candidate or the reason the offer was turned down but did say why the position was reopened.

“It was reposted in order to give the selection committee some additional candidates to consider before making a final recommendation to the school board…we are preparing to interview some additional candidates within the next two weeks,” said Estep.

According to Estep, the administration will review some previous applications as well as some new potential candidates for the job before making another recommendation as early as the April school board meeting.

Estep hopes that the new candidate will be approved before the end of the 2022 school year, it is unlikely that they will begin working before the start of the summer.

In the meantime, Estep is working with the staff and faculty of the high school to cover Yoder’s responsibilities until a new principal can be installed.

“I am assisting Mr. Rhoades and the high school team with the typical principal tasks,” said Estep, “Hopefully, students and staff have not seen too much disruption at this point. Our goal is to finish the school year on the most positive note that we can, plan for the next school year as we would normally, and prepare to make the transition for the new principal as smooth as possible.”