Crestwood picks new superintendent, tables assistant superintendent post

WRIGHT TWP. — At a special meeting Tuesday night the Crestwood School Board voted to hire Vito Quaglia as the district’s next superintendent, but tabled a scheduled vote to restore the long-vacant position of assistant superintendent and hire high school principal Margaret “Peg” Foster.

With all nine members present — one by phone — the vote to table Foster’s appointment was 6-3. Board President Barry Boone and members Lauren McCurdy and Marla Campbell voted against tabling.

The vote to hire Quaglia was also 6-3, with McCurdy, John Macri and Kim Spath voting no.

Quaglia comes from Delaware Valley School District, where he is currently principal of Dingman-Delaware Elementary School. Before that, he served as Wyoming Area High School principal, and as Pittston Area head softball coach, a position he resigned at the end of the season in 2019 to take the Delaware Valley job.

Quaglia was hired with a three-year contract at a starting salary of $137,500. According to the state Department of Education website, his 2020-21 salary at Delaware Valley was $117,135. He will start at Crestwood as soon as he is released from his current position. Quaglia said the date hasn’t been finalized but he expects it to be before the end of the school year.

Quaglia said he grew up in Ashley and still lives in Duryea, and that he’s “excited” about the new appointment. “Crestwood has a tremendous reputation,” he said.

After the meeting, Solicitor Jack Dean said Foster’s appointment was tabled because the board wanted to give Quaglia time to settle in to the job before changing the administration further. He said he expects it to come up for a vote in the future.

Foster served as Fairview Elementary principal prior to becoming high school principal. She was initially picked to take over the superintendent post when Dave McLaughlin-Smith announced his retirement. At the November 2015 meeting the School Board voted to give her the job beginning Jan. 8. But three newly elected board members sworn in during a December re-organization meeting a few weeks later joined several incumbents to rescind Foster’s appointment.

Quaglia will replace outgoing Superintendent Robert Mehalick, who submitted his letter of resignation to the board in January, along with Business Manager Peter Bard. Bard will be leaving April 17 to take a job with the Susquenita School District in Perry County.

Mehalick accepted a job as assistant superintendent at Hazleton Area School District. Contractually he only has to stay with Crestwood for 60 days after submitting his resignation, but he promised to stay as long as necessary to assure a smooth transition.

The board previously appointed Natasha Milazzo as business manager.