Norwin superintendent to retire
Norwin’s superintendent intends to retire at the end of the school year after leading the school district for eight years.
William Kerr, 66, on Monday revealed his plans to retire on June 28. His retirement letter is subject to final acceptance and approval by the school board of an early retirement incentive the district intends to offer central office administrators and the principals and assistant principals.
The school board has agreed to release Kerr, who will receive $171,545 this school year, 12 months early from his five-year contract that expires in June 2020. The district said the money saved will provide opportunities for restructuring and realigning the administration.
Kerr told the school board that his years with Norwin “have been extremely rewarding, and it is my hope that my leadership skills and abilities have contributed to several successes.”
By the time he retires in June, he will have served as Norwin’s superintendent for nine years. He succeeded John Boylan, who served as Norwin’s superintendent from 2005 to 2010.
“It is time for new people to take over,” Kerr said. “Change is good. Change can only be good.”
Darlene Ciocca, school board vice president, told Kerr the board was accepting his retirement with mixed emotions.
Board President Robert Perkins, who did not attend the meeting, said in a statement that Kerr’s leadership has been “key to the growth and success that Norwin has experienced” during his tenure as superintendent.
“Kerr’s drive for excellence and community involvement will be hard to replace,” Perkins said.
During Kerr’s tenure, Norwin has seen a steady improvement of student achievement, consistently exceeding state-wide PSSA and Keystone Exam average scores.
He was instrumental in developing Norwin’s STEM/STEAM innovation program for teaching and learning.
Kerr also has been involved with opioid prevention initiatives in cooperation with the Drug Enforcement Agency and FBI. An opioid awareness curriculum that started at the Norwin Middle School was expanded to other grades and included involvement by parents and the community.
The school district’s U.S. Air Force Junior ROTC program started during his tenure. The FBI selected Norwin for a pilot site for cyber- security classes, which was done in cooperation with the University of Pittsburgh’s College in the High School program.
In addition to Norwin, Kerr also served as superintendent in the Apollo-Ridge and Armstrong school districts. He began his 42-year career in education as a teacher at Kiski Area and Kerr said he hopes to stay connected to the Norwin community in retirement. He serves on the board of the Norwin School District Community Foundation and is a life member of Norwin Alumni & Friends.
Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer.
You can contact Joe at 724-836-5252 or jnapsha@tribweb.com.
