Members of the Upper Adams community expressed strong emotions over Superintendent Wesley Doll’s impending departure, some blaming the school board for his exit.
Earlier this month, Conewago Valley School District hired Doll as assistant superintendent, starting no later than Jan. 13. On Tuesday, the Upper Adams School Board accepted Doll’s resignation, effective Jan. 10. Doll has been with the district for 16 years.
Board Vice President Loren Lustig said the district hopes to have an acting superintendent in place before Doll leaves and will search for a permanent replacement.
In an interview, Doll said the decision to leave Upper Adams was influenced by a desire to focus more on his family.
“Over the last two years, I’ve lost a lot of family members, and it just gave me a lot of time to reflect on what’s important in life,” he said. “I’ve spent a lot of time here at Upper Adams. I missed a number of things that my daughters have participated in over the years.”
In addition, Doll has roots in the Conewago Valley School District. He graduated from New Oxford High School and lives in the district. Doll said he wants to continue to put students first and give back to the district that helped shape him.
Asked whether the past year of contentious Upper Adams School Board meetings factored into his decision, Doll said there are going to be “challenges in public education no matter where you’re at today.” He said it was time to “take a couple steps back” and focus on family, health and wellbeing.
Doll said he still plans to be involved in the Biglerville community even after the end of his time as superintendent.
Public speaks out
At Tuesday’s Upper Adams School Board meeting, community members shared their reactions to Doll’s resignation.
“The public should make no mistake, the majority of this board has sped up the arrival of this date when we lose a gifted manager, servant leader and dedicated community advocate in the middle of a school year,” former board member Tom Wilson said.
Wilson called out board members who were newly elected last year, describing their behavior as “something approaching harassment of district administrators.” He lambasted efforts to rewrite policy, engage with a new law firm, and time spent scrutinizing “extremely minor budget issues.”
Another former school board member, Brad Hollabaugh, also spoke up. He criticized the effort by some board members to change the district’s book policy — a policy he said has served the district well while giving parents the opportunity to have a say in what their students read.
“The majority of this board has completely lost perspective on almost all things that are important in a school district,” he said. “It’s not natural to lose an outstanding chief administrator when the proverbial ship has been sailing so smoothly for so long. Perhaps you will finally find that perspective having lost Dr. Doll.”
Parent Christian Parker said he struggled to decide whether to use his time during the public comment period to chastise the school board or praise Doll. He chose to focus on Doll’s accomplishments, describing his presence at sporting events, musical performances and academic competitions.
“I recall the calm demeanor and tactfulness that he has shown during the school board meetings during his tenure, both prior to this year and including this mostly contentious year, which, to be honest, is no small feat,” Parker said.
Three Upper Adams educators said Doll will be missed dearly.
English teacher Hannah Meeson described the care Doll would take in deciding whether to call a snow day, considering the students who might not have warm environments at home. Annie Granger said Doll always made the staff feel heard and supported through difficult times. They each said that Doll truly cares about the students, and it shows.
Kelly Pelc said Doll embodies the qualities of a true Canner as someone with grit and perseverance, and as a leader who rolls up their sleeves to get things done. Even though he is leaving, she said Doll will always be a Canner.
Pelc offered a message to the school board.
“Lead with integrity and grit and heart, as Dr. Doll has so selflessly done all these years. Do that and the Canners can’t lose,” Pelc said. “And Board, you have some tremendous, bright gold Cannerman-sized shoes to fill, so please do it well.”
Dozens of community members in the audience stood and applauded Doll during the meeting. Several came up to him afterward to shake his hand, thank him and say he would be missed.
The school board will next meet for its regular meeting Dec. 3 at 7 p.m., following a re-organizational meeting at 6:30 p.m. The policy committee will meet Dec. 5 at 9 a.m.
Mary Grace Kauffman, freelance reporter, worked six years as a full-time reporter for newspapers in Pennsylvania and Maryland. She has covered topics including business, crime, education, government and features. Mary Grace has a bachelor's degree in communication/journalism from Shippensburg University. She resides in Adams County.