Residents urge board to address leadership turnover; public comments target superintendent contract

Several community members used the Schuylkill Valley School District public-comment period to press the board about staff turnover, leadership concerns and the upcoming decision over the superintendent’s contract.

Carol Wiens told the board the recent election results show voters want changes in district leadership and cited high staff turnover among principals, business managers, counselors and professional staff after the current superintendent was hired. Wiens urged the board to consider the election results when deciding whether to renew the superintendent’s contract, which runs through 2026 and requires the board to notify the superintendent about renewal intent the next month.

Jeff Goolen acknowledged the night’s student recognitions and then echoed calls for community members to “roll up your sleeves” and participate. He said he was reviewing district policies about administrators’ public remarks and questioned whether administrators should refer to community speakers by name at meetings. Goolen said a 676‑signature petition is active and that community members must address problems “from within.”

Supervising board members and administrators responded briefly from the dais during back‑and‑forth exchanges; no formal action was taken during public comment. The board did not vote on superintendent contract renewal at the meeting.

The board’s agenda notes a contract timeline: the superintendent’s contract runs to 2026 and the board must notify the superintendent next month of intent to renew or not. Several speakers said the election results should inform that decision; none of the speakers asked the board to take immediate procedural action during the meeting.