Easton Area School District hires familiar face as new schools chief
Pleasant Valley Superintendent David Piperato will move into the Easton Area School District’s top slot in December.
Easton Area School Board members Tuesday unanimously appointed Piperato superintendent, with two members who abstained. His term begins on Dec. 15, with a starting salary of $180,000.
Piperato fills a vacancy left by former Superintendent John Reinhart, who was appointed to the post in 2013.
He left Aug. 5 and has been replaced by Frank D’Angelo, who is serving as interim superintendent.
Piperato couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday.
Piperato, of Nazareth, started his career as a teacher in the Bethlehem Area School District and then became a school principal, serving in that role for 20 years at the Palisades, Lower Merion and the East Penn school districts, according to a news release from the Easton Area School District. He was hired as the Pleasant Valley superintendent in 2017.
School board members selected Piperato from 19 applicants, said Angelo Senese, whose firm AltEd Solutions lead the superintendent search. Senese said they chose five applicants for a first round of interviews (although one withdrew), and another three as finalists. Finalists were interviewed by several stakeholder groups, Senese said.
School board President George Chando said Piperato stood out for his administrative experience and his work on curriculum and instruction.
Board member Meg Sayago said Piperato is very interested in restorative justice, a philosophy that he’s implemented in the past and is centered around the idea that children who do something wrong should face their actions and be involved in making it right.
“He came through in his interview as someone who will be a visionary leader for the school district and is interested in developing a positive culture for the district,” Sayago said.
Easton Area Education Association President Kevin Deely said he was impressed by Piperato’s take on trauma-informed practices and social and racial justice.
Piperato’s appointment was not placed on the board agenda before their meeting Tuesday. His new salary is also more than Reinhart’s, which was $165,179.
Morning Call reporter Michelle Merlin can be reached at 610-820-6533 or at mmerlin@mcall.com.