Upper Adams School District is preparing to welcome a new superintendent.
After months of searching, the school board will hold a special meeting April 22 to vote upon the hire of Todd Dishong, the district announced in a statement Wednesday.
Dishong is assistant superintendent at Waynesboro Area School District, according to Upper Adams Interim Superintendent Don Bell. Bell has served in the role since Wesley Doll left the position in January to become assistant superintendent at Conewago Valley School District.
Dishong is expected to begin with Upper Adams in July. He wrote in a statement provided by the district that becoming the next superintendent of Upper Adams would be a “great honor.”
“I thoroughly love education, teaching, learning and all the energy and planning that teachers and administrators put into our most valuable resource, our learners,” Dishong said. “I commit my passion, heart, drive and a relentless pursuit of excellence in working alongside district faculty, staff, learners, the community and Board of Directors in continuing to build upon our UASD mission, vision and shared values for student growth and making all learners college, career and military ready through open and authentic servant leadership.”
Dishong comes with 25 years of experience in public education, both as a teacher and administrator, according to his bio on the Waynesboro district website.
“He has had the privilege to experience teaching and administration across grades K-12 and knows the challenges and rewards at each grade level, from learning to read in kindergarten to preparing learners for and making choices about college, careers in high school and walking across the ‘stage’ to receive their H.S. diploma,” his bio reads. “Twenty-five years of experiences have also provided him the opportunity to be part of and see educational endeavors through the lens of small and rural to large and suburban districts.”
Dishong lives near Caledonia State Park with his wife, according to his bio. They have two children and are also grandparents. Dishong enjoys outdoor activities including camping, running ultra-marathons and exploring state and national parks.
The school board will hold a special meeting April 22 at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium to vote on Dishong’s hire.
In other news, the board plans to adopt the preliminary budget for the 2025-2026 school year at its May 6 meeting. The budget does not include a tax increase at this time — any variance between expenses and revenue will be covered by a combination of assigned and unassigned funds, according to Director of Business Operations Shelley Hobbs.
New asks in the proposed budget include additional funds for summer enrichment programming, district translators, a speech language pathologist, assistant coaches, a girls wrestling program, security upgrades and crossing guards.
After the preliminary budget is approved, the board may make cuts but not add to the budget before its final approval. The final budget adoption is set for June 17.
Tuesday’s board meeting coincided with World Art Day. Five students in Sarah Maclay’s third grade art club presented art they created and spoke to the value they found in the new club. One student likened the class to “extra credit you do for fun.” Students experimented with clay, book making, painting, printmaking and more.
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.