Norwin superintendent to leave district, catching school board off guard

Norwin Superintendent Jeff Taylor is leaving the district when his contract expires at the end of the school year, he said Monday.

Taylor notified district faculty and staff in an email sent at 4:30 a.m. and at Monday night’s board meeting.

He wouldn’t detail plans after his contract expires June 30. Taylor has been the target of harsh criticism from the former school board’s vocal minority.

During the meeting, board member Alex Detschelt, one of Taylor’s harshest critics over the past two years, voted present on the measure to accept the superintendent’s resignation.

Had the Republican slate won, Detschelt said the board would have declared the superintendent’s position open.

The slate of five candidates who won in November’s election and represents the board’s majority, campaigned on a position of supporting the administration.

Following the meeting, Taylor wouldn’t answer questions but released a statement about his departure.

In it, he said his tenure was “an incredibly awarding experience” and he was proud of the collaborative achievements accomplished during his tenure.

Board President Matthew Thomas, who was elected in November, and fellow directors Shawna Ilagan and Raymond Kocak declined to comment on the resignation.

In a prepared statement, Thomas said Taylor’s “passion for innovative programs and creativity supports our mission to provide a positive learner-centered environment that supports the growth of all students.”

The board will begin the process of selecting a new superintendent, Thomas said, but offered no further details on the process.

Director Tim Kotch, a former Norwin administrator who joined the board in December, said he was surprised by the resignation.

Directors Bill Bojalad and Nina Totin, who also joined the board last month, said they were disappointed by the move.

Under Taylor’s contract, if the board had not renewed his employment by Feb. 1, he automatically would have been given another year as superintendent, Detschelt said, adding that he was not aware Taylor was going to resign.

After the November election, Detschelt dropped the lawsuit he and fellow directors Shawna Ilagan, Christine Baverso and Robert Wayman, filed against then school board members Darlene Ciocca, William Essay and Kocak over the board’s failure to publish the low performance marks the minority board faction gave Taylor. Wayman lost the election, and Ciocca and Essay did not run for reelection.

Detschelt said he hasn’t dropped the federal lawsuit he filed against Taylor in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, alleging the superintendent retaliated against him when Taylor criticized Detschelt for posting an offensive meme.

Prior to being hired by Norwin in 2019, Taylor was a North Hills assistant superintendent. He has extensive experience as a curriculum coordinator.