- (GantDaily Graphic)
CLEARFIELD – Dr. J. Thomas Frantz was appointed to head the Clearfield Area School District on an interim basis at a combined committee and board meeting Monday night.
Frantz will step into the interim superintendent position on July 1. His salary has been set at $500 per day, which includes all expenses, as needed, until the district hires a permanent superintendent.
“I’m excited to come to Clearfield. I’m fresh with new ideas,” Frantz said. He indicated he had retired from the Punxsutawney Area School District.
He said he has 37 years of education experience, including 35.5 years at Punxsutawney. He said he received all his degrees – bachelors through doctorate, at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
However, Frantz said he received his administration certification from Penn State University.
Frantz said he holds a vast background, including elementary education; curriculum development; high school principal; and superintendent.
Board President Dave Glass indicated it was also current Superintendent Dr. Richard C. Makin’s last board meeting. Makin was absent from the meeting.
“He wasn’t here long but his impression will be felt,” Glass said. He said he believed his fellow board members agreed with him and appreciated Makin’s service to the district.
According to a prior GantDaily report, the board accepted Makin’s resignation at an April 26 meeting.
Makin then confirmed he had accepted the executive director position at the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science & Technology in Pleasant Gap. His resignation was then effective no later than July 15.
Makin declined further comment about his departure following that board meeting.
According to a March 22 GantDaily report, Makin was hired by the vocational-technical institute at their March 8 meeting, said Patti Weaver, business manager for CPI. She said he’s slated to start in the new position in July. She said his salary has been set at $125,000.
CPI was established in 1969 as the Centre County Vocational-Technical School. The institute serves high school students who are enrolled in the Bald Eagle Area, Bellefonte, Penns Valley and State College districts, according to the CPI Web site.
It also stated that over 1,100 additional adult students receive training annually at CPI. The institute offers more than 18 secondary programs, over 60 in-house adult and continuing education programs and more than 350 online courses.
But at the March board meeting, Dave Glass, board president, addressed media reports about Makin’s departure. He said Makin has not reached a decision regarding his future with the district.
“We’ve known this was in the works for a while now. But we don’t have a resignation,” he said. He said they probably wouldn’t have Makin’s final decision for at least a month.
Makin stepped into the superintendent position at Clearfield on Jan. 20, 2009. He was unanimously appointed by the board of directors at a special meeting in November 2008.
At the time of his hiring, Makin was set to serve in the superintendent position at Clearfield for four-and-a-half years. His term was scheduled to run through Jan. 30, 2013.
Makin has previously served as the superintendent of the Purchase Line Area School District. He has also previously served as the director of the Clearfield County Career and Technology Center.