Penn College administrator approved as new KCSD assistant superintendent

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – Dr. Randy Zangara is the new Assistant Superintendent for the Keystone Central School District. His hire was given unanimous board approval at Thursday night’s school board meeting. Dr. Zangara currently is the Executive Director of Career and Technical Education Partnerships at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

He had been recommended for the post by Superintendent Jacquelyn Martin who, in comments earlier this week, said Zangara brings “a lot of experience, energy and enthusiasm as an educational leader.” He begins his new duties under a five-year contract on Oct. 23, starting pay $131,000 annually. Zangara fills a vacancy left when former assistant superintendent Mark Condo left the district in August.

The new assistant superintendent was present at Thursday’s meeting and superintendent Martin said he is ready to “hit the ground running.”

Zangara’s appointment was part of unanimous board approval on a number of personnel matters. They also included the hiring of two former standout Bucktail High School basketball players to become head coaches at their alma mater: former varsity assistant Travis Fantaskey to direct the boys’ program and Sueellen Wagner the girls’ program.

The board meeting was brief, lasting 25 minutes. Approvals included giving the district both civil and criminal ability to deal with violators of the district’s business privilege tax; previously only civil action could be taken against tax scofflaws. The resolution was approved on a 5-3 vote; no votes came from board president David Dietrich, Elisabeth Lynch and Rick Schulze. Lynch had voiced her displeasure with the tax at last week’s board work session, although there was no discussion at this week’s meeting.

The board heard a report on the success of the district’s summer recreation program from director Becky Conklin. The program drew some 231 school-age youth over eight weeks. Superintendent Martin offered words of praise for the program, run in conjunction with participating municipalities across the district. She noted the summer program dates back more than 50 years, pointing out she had attended the program as a youth growing up in Sugar Valley. She also said she had been a gymnastics instructor to Mrs. Conklin some years back.

School board member Butch Knauff encouraged district residents to attend a series of “town halls” featuring school board candidates within the district; they are to begin later this month for three contested district seats in the November election. He said the public sessions are not sponsored by the school district but said it’s important for the voters to educate themselves on school issues. He said it was his understanding that the meetings were organized by private citizen Rich Fitzgerald.