Bald Eagle Area School District begins search for next superintendent
As Jeff Miles prepares to retire from the Bald Eagle Area School District, the board of directors is asking for community input as its members begin the search process for the next superintendent.
A 1978 Bald Eagle Area graduate, Miles has served as BEA superintendent since 2013. He was unavailable for comment, but his retirement was approved at last week’s school board meeting and will be effective Feb. 29.
Board President Tina Greene said Miles helped BEA grow by helping build a strong leadership team and providing learning opportunities in and out of the classroom. She cited the district’s Multi-Tiered Systems of Support program — an initiative that aims to help students grow and succeed in their education.
“To me, his greatest impact is how much he truly cares about our schools and communities,” Greene said. “Our buildings are used by many community and youth organizations because he understands how important it is to support the citizens of the district. Mr. Miles can be seen in attendance at sporting events, concerts, drama productions and special events, encouraging and cheering on our students.”
BEA approved the services of Edward Albert, executive director of Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools, to lead the search. The search and hiring process will consist of meetings and surveys conducted by Albert, staff, administrators and community members to see what kinds of characteristics they would like to see in the next superintendent.
“Our anticipated date to approve the candidate is planned for the March/April board meeting, with a start date of July 1,” according to a statement posted Monday. “We as a board want to be very transparent in our search process.”
The open position will be advertised through various outlets for candidates to begin the application process.
Community members are asked to share input on an online survey, which can be found on the BEA website under the superintendent search tab.
Bellefonte Area School District will also be looking for a new superintendent, following last week’s announcement of Michelle Saylor’s retirement.
This story was originally published January 13, 2020 at 11:01 AM.
