Bermudian Springs School District did not have to look far for its next superintendent.
Dr. Brad Sterner – currently the assistant superintendent of Conewago Valley School District – was named as the next superintendent for Bermudian Springs on Tuesday evening during the school board’s regular meeting.
With Superintendent Shane Hotchkiss on extended leave before retiring, Dr. Shannon Myers, Bermudian Springs’ assistant superintendent, stepped up to the plate as acting superintendent. The school board has quietly considered the issue of who to hire as its next superintendent since Hotchkiss announced his retirement.
Myers will continue to serve as the interim superintendent until Sterner begins his employment in the district.
Sterner currently works as the assistant superintendent and Title IX coordinator at Conewago Valley. His contract with Bermudian Springs will begin no later than Jan. 9, 2025, according to Tuesday’s agenda. Sterner’s contract will go through June 30, 2029.
Board President Dan Chubb welcomed Sterner to Bermudian Springs.
“On behalf of the entire board and Bermudian Springs School District, we extend a warm and heartfelt welcome to you as our new superintendent,” Chubb said. “We’re excited to have you join our school and the district and look forward to the positive impact that you’re going to make as part of the Bermudian Springs family, so welcome.”
Chubb expressed gratitude to several others he said were “instrumental” in the process, including Myers.
“I’d also like to recognize, to express our deepest gratitude, for the hard work of Dr. Myers, who has taken on the role of interim superintendent with exceptional leadership and commitment,” Chubb added. “This process would not have been possible without your guidance, perseverance and unwavering support, so thank you.”
Other board members also expressed appreciation for Myers working as acting superintendent.
“I will just thank you for trusting me, for allowing me the opportunity to lead in this capacity,” Myers said. “I absolutely hands-down have to give credit to our admin team, who have been a tremendous support to me and continue to be a tremendous support. Thank you for your support and guidance through all of this, Stock and Leader. Mr. Peart, Justin, my right-hand man. I feel like I don’t know what I would do without his support and guidance, as well. I’m looking forward to the next three months, but I will say I cannot wait to pass the torch to Dr. Sterner, who I’m incredibly excited to work alongside in this capacity. I feel like we have great things ahead.”
The board approved a handful of other personnel decisions, including adding Erin Green as the middle school musical co-drama director and Jeffrey King as the head junior high boys’ basketball coach.
Additionally, the board approved having Chubb serve as a member of the K-12 Guidance Advisory Council for 2024-25.
Following up on previous discussions, the board voted to work with Critical Response Group, Inc. Along with school security Officer Jesse Sims, Myers initially presented information about the company to the board in a recent meeting. Critical Response creates detailed maps, overlays them with a Battleship-style grid, and provides copies of the maps to the schools and first responders.
The intricate mapping paired with the simple grid is intended to maximize information and coordination to improve response times for first responders in the case of an emergency, whether that is a medical crisis involving one individual or a more wide-spread crisis.
Representatives from Critical Response will visit the schools to gather data for individual building maps.
In other business, the board approved a settlement agreement made between Bermudian Springs School District and a student’s parents, according to the agenda.
Four 4th-grade students who serve as S.O.A.R. ambassadors told the board about the S.O.A.R. program. S.O.A.R. stands for ‘Stay safe – Own your actions – Always responsible – Respect everyone’ and offers incentives for ideal behavior.
The students told the board about the rewards students can earn and the application process the ambassadors completed to be selected for their role.
The next caucus meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 11. The next regular board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Both meetings will be held in the administration office board room.
Meetings are no longer livestreamed. Instead, they are recorded and posted soon afterwards to the district’s YouTube account. Members of the public may also attend open meetings in person.
Featured image: Sterner
Imari Scarbrough is a freelance journalist. She was a staff newspaper reporter for five years before becoming a freelancer in 2017. She has written on crime, environmental issues, severe weather events, local and regional government and more.
You can visit her website at ImariJournal.com.