Hempfield Area School Board approves district's next superintendent

The Hempfield Area School Board has hired Mark Holtzman as the district’s next superintendent.

Holtzman, who is currently superintendent for the Beaver Area School District, was hired on a five-year contract starting July 1.

He will be paid a salary of $208,000 plus a $2,000 doctorate stipend annually, according to board President Jerry Radebaugh.

The district chose from 15 candidates gathered through an application process facilitated by education consultant Peter D’Arcangelo, who retired in 2013 as superintendent of Franklin Regional School District. The vote was unanimous.

Holtzman is entering the leadership seat at Hempfield Area as the district restarts its major renovate high school renovation project.

Initial bids for the project came in millions of dollars over budget in August, and the project was stalled for months. The original architect, Core Architects, resigned from the work and a new architect, Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates of Mechanicsburg, was named April 22 to replace them.

Holtzman said his initial priorities are the high school project, working with the district’s finances and budgets and building good relationships with the staff.

“The large construction project that’s been kind of looming over the last couple of years really needs to take shape,” he said. “I think kind of orchestrating and getting those things tied together, and starting to understand what the project looks like, and what is holding up the project, (is a priority).”

He expects to regularly communicate with school principals on topics like student discipline, and to focus on safety and security.

“It’s about leading our leaders — leading our principals, making sure they have the tools in their toolbox necessary to be effective leaders, and create great cultures in their schools,” he said, calling upon his own experience as a former high school principal.

A North Huntingdon resident, Holtzman said it was hard to move on from the community at Beaver Area, but looks forward to working in the Hempfield Area School District. He became superintendent at Beaver Area in 2022 after holding the same position in the McKeesport Area School District from 2017 to 2022. He previously served in administrative roles at McKeesport. He also has worked as a dean of students.

Holtzman is filling the vacancy left by former district superintendent Tammy Wolicki, who announced her retirement in January following an extended leave of absence.

Kimberlie Rieffannacht, the assistant superintendent for Elementary Education, will continue to serve as interim superintendent through June 30, and then return to her normal role..

Board members thanked her for her leadership and help at Wednesday night’s board meeting.