DANVILLE - In the midst of motions to accept retirements and resignations, Mount Carmel Area superintendent Cheryl Latorre was appointed the new superintendent of the Danville Area School District at their board meeting Tuesday night.
Danville Area School Board's 8-0 vote appointed Latorre with a five-year contract at a base salary of $125,000 a year, pending receipt of all clearances and resolutions of any outstanding contract issues.
Latorre, who is on vacation, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Mount Carmel Area School Board president Rose Marquardt was a little shocked to hear the news.
"She had told us that she was offered the position, but hasn't given us any indication that she was taking the job," Marquardt said. "As of Thursday's graduation ceremony, she told us she hadn't made up her mind."
Allen Schappert, Danville board president, said Tuesday it's a done deal.
"We have some language issues that we need to reconcile on the contract, but we hope to settle that after she turns in her formal resignation at Mount Carmel Area's next board meeting."
That meeting will take place Wednesday, June 22, but the board meets again Thursday in a work session to hammer out the final details of the 2011-2012 budget.
The move to Danville will mark the first time Latorre has worked outside the Mount Carmel Area in her educational career. She has been superintendent at Mount Carmel since 2005 and employed with the district since starting as a substitute teacher in 1981.
The appointment was just glanced over, voted on as part of a group of motions in the personnel portion of Danville's regular meeting. When questioned by members of the public in attendance, acting superintendent David Price talked about why Danville chose Latorre.
"One of the main factors the board was looking for in a superintendent was quality, and in talking with several members of two intermediate units, everyone had many positive things to say about Cheryl Latorre," Price said. "She has the knowledge and the experience and she has told us how interested and excited she is about coming here."
School director David Weader added, "This board has had concerns that educationally, we are not performing well as a district. Mount Carmel Area is constantly outperforming us, in a much more challenged area economically. Her track record for that was most important to me."
"It was nice of them to say that, and I give credit for that due to the teamwork we have here, with our administration, teachers and the board," Marquardt said.
The board said that Price will remain employed by the district as a consultant during Latorre's first few months in the district, and Schappert said he hopes she would sit in on the interviews later this month for a new business administrator.
That is, of course, if she decides to take the position.
"If she does decide to take it, I wish her all the luck in the world," Marquardt said.