Top official receives contract extension
“I feel my last stop will be my best stop.” — William Shirk, Pottsgrove superintendent
LOWER POTTSGROVE >> Pottsgrove School District Superintendent William Shirk will remain at the helm of the district through June of 2021.
That’s thanks to a unanimous vote taken Tuesday by the Pottsgrove School Board.
The vote, taken six months before Shirk’s current contract expires, was bundled in with eight other personnel items and made without question or comment by any school board member.
After the meeting, Shirk explained that the extension is under the same terms as his current contract and does not contain a specific salary increase.
Rather, as is true of the other administrators in the district, Shirk’s contract has his salary determined by a performance review by the school board.
And, like the other administrators, Shirk has received 2 percent raises over the past two years.
In August, Shirk received a 2 percent raise to $188,695 for the current school year, a $4,621 raise from the previous year’s salary of $184,074.
Shirk, who had served as the district’s assistant superintendent since 2013, was promoted in January 2017 at a salary of $178,000.
For five months, he had served as acting superintendent in the wake of the departure of his predecessor, Shellie Feola.
As Tuesday’s meeting wound down, Shirk thanked the board.
“I’m very grateful to the board for the opportunities. I feel my last stop will be my best stop,” Shirk said.
“There’s a lot happening that I want to see through.”
He also spent time talking about the other employees in the district.
“You have a great team here. You need to know that. When you give people the opportunity to achieve in their area of expertise, they think outside the box and deliver great things,” said Shirk.
I look forward to working with all of you for the next 18 months,” he said.