Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Manheim Township board places superintendent on administrative leave; residents press for transparency
Summary
Board Chair Mr. Grenter announced that Dr. Pate Hefty is on administrative leave and said district leaders will provide updates 'as we are able.' Residents at the meeting urged more transparency about the leave and raised concerns about a contract clause restricting discussion.
The Manheim Township School Board announced at its regular meeting that Superintendent Dr. Pate Hefty has been placed on administrative leave while the district’s leadership and board address matters the board said they cannot yet discuss publicly. "Doctor Pate Hefty is on administrative leave," Chair Mr. Grenter told attendees, adding that Dr. Reiman and Mrs. Robbins will continue district leadership in the interim and that the board will "share all that we can as we are able."
The announcement prompted sustained public comment. Lisa Reed, speaking as a concerned parent and taxpayer, said the board’s inability to discuss the leave under a clause in the superintendent’s contract has eroded trust: "This clause alone should deeply concern every parent and every community member in this district," she said, urging the board to explain its hiring and vetting practices and to improve transparency.
Other speakers echoed those concerns. One resident said articles about the superintendent’s prior tenure were removed from the internet after her hire and asked whether the board conducted adequate due diligence. Another asked whether the superintendent is being paid while on leave.
Chair Mr. Grenter said the board is bound by contractual and legal limits on what it can discuss and pledged to "follow our processes and meet our obligations to our staff and students." He said the district office leadership team led by Dr. Reiman and Mrs. Robbins will provide steady leadership until the board appoints an interim superintendent.
Several staff and community speakers also offered supportive comments about other departing leaders. Multiple speakers—teachers, a substitute, and current and former students—praised Dr. Schafer’s leadership and asked the board to recognize her contributions.
The board did not provide additional operational details during the meeting about the circumstances of the superintendent’s leave. Chair Mr. Grenter told the public the board “will discuss them here in this building in front of the public to the fullest extent that we can” and that more information will be provided when legally permissible.
