Sewickley Academy searching for new school principal

Sewickley Academy will conduct a national search for a new head of school after it decided to part ways with its longtime academic chief.

Kolia O’Connor had served as head of school for the private, K-12 academy in Sewickley Borough since 2003.

The school said on Wednesday that the departure was a mutual decision between Mr. O’Connor and the academy’s board of trustees “as they determined that a change in leadership was in the best interest of the school.”

Mr. O’Connor could not immediately be reached.

“While we appreciate that uncertainty and anxiety accompany times of change, we firmly believe that this transition is in the best interest of our amazing students, our dedicated faculty and staff and our SA community,” board chair Kate Pigman and vice chair Brad Busatto said in a joint statement. “Our future remains bright, and we must not lose sight of that. We remain deeply grateful for your continued patience, trust and confidence.”

Ashley Birtwell, who has served on the academy’s board for the past two years, was named interim head of school as a search for a permanent replacement for Mr. O’Connor commences.

Ms. Birtwell said in a letter to the Sewickley Academy community that she was “acutely aware that we have some areas that must be improved upon.” She said she would focus on increasing enrollment, boosting school pride, and expanding diversity and inclusion.

“These concepts are central to our mission and core values. I assure you that this will remain the case under my leadership,” she said. “Our implementation of these important concepts, however, has presented challenges and has been polarizing. Ultimately, I sincerely believe that we will have the greatest impact if we all collaborate in a united way on these matters.”

The Sewickley Academy parent organization said in a statement that it supported the change in leadership, but added that it does not know why the decision was made.

“We believe the board’s recent decision to make a change in leadership at the school is wise,” the Sewickley Parents organization said. “While we are not sure why, in the end, the board made the decision it did, we are enthused and hopeful that this signals a serious commitment to a renewed vision for the future of the school.”