Acting superintendent named for Southeast Delco schools

FOLCROFT » A temporary appointment has been made to succeed outgoing Southeast Delco Schools Superintendent Dr. Stephen Butz.

The school board at its recent reorganization meeting selected current school district Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jeff Ryan to be the acting superintendent for not more than one year starting Feb. 10, 2020.

Butz last month accepted an administrative position with the Delaware County Intermediate Unit and will resign his superintendent post on Feb. 9. Butz is leaving the district early ahead of the expiration of his current contract with Southeast Delco in June 2021.

Ryan Wednesday morning said he was honored with the opportunity to lead the schools with “great anticipation.”

“Having spent my life in this district in one capacity or another, I am deeply committed to its success,” he wrote in an email. “My hope is to use the acting position to build upon some of the good work being done by Southeast Delco staff on a daily basis for our students and families.”

Ryan’s academic life started in the school district and he says he’s a proud graduate of Academy Park High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from West Chester University, a master’s in educational leadership from Saint Joseph University, and a doctorate in innovation and leadership from Wilmington University.

He served as a teacher at Sharon Hill and Darby Township schools for five years before becoming a building administrator as an assistant principal at Sharon Hill, then principal at Harris Elementary for a combined seven years. Ryan has served as an assistant superintendent in the district since early 2009, serving with Butz as the top educators in the district for the past 10 years.

While an official selection process has yet to be determined to find a permanent superintendent, Ryan hopes his interim post will be beneficial toward such an appointment.

“The school board will need to make the decision on who is the best candidate to lead Southeast Delco going forward,” he wrote. “Hopefully the value I believe I can contribute during my term as acting superintendent will factor into that decision.”

Southeast Delco serves 4,300 students in six schools.