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Berwick Area School District names Dr. Jason Bendel as superintendent; parent urges strong advocacy for schools
Summary
The Berwick Area School District presented Dr. Jason Bendel for a five‑year superintendent term after a four‑month search that screened 22 applicants. A parent welcomed Bendel and urged him to defend students and staff; Bendel pledged support for teachers and plans to start in early August.
The Berwick Area School District announced Dr. Jason Bendel as its superintendent‑designate and welcomed him to address the meeting after a four‑month search that screened 22 applicants.
The board listed Personnel A‑1 on the agenda to appoint Dr. Bendel to a five‑year term. The transcript provided with this meeting records the personnel item and Bendel’s introductory remarks but does not include a roll‑call vote or individual tallies for that appointment in the supplied segments. After the announcement and a brief public‑comment period, Bendel spoke to the board and community.
Christina Culver of Salem Township, who identified herself as a parent, alumna and co‑chair of the nonprofit Defense of Democracy of Columbia County, used the closing public‑comment period to welcome Bendel and press him to be "a strong advocate for our public schools." She said the schools in the community "are under attack right now," and asked district leadership to ensure students, teachers and administrators feel safe and included.
Bendel thanked the board for its trust and described his background in district leadership. "First of all, I'd like to thank the board for trusting me," he said. He told the meeting he has served as a superintendent for more than 10 years and said he has experience working in districts that were financially unstable and later stabilized. He said Berwick appears to be a "very proud community" and that his goals will be to build on existing strengths, support teachers and administrators, and maintain fiscal responsibility.
Bendel also said he expects to begin in the district in early August and looks forward to meeting staff, students and families.
The meeting closed with a motion to adjourn that received a second and an affirmative voice vote in the provided transcript segments. The minutes supplied do not record a separate mover/second or roll‑call breakdown for the superintendent appointment in the segments provided.
