New Superintendent Hired At Phoenixville Area School District

PHOENIXVILLE, PA – Phoenixville Area School Board voted unanimously Monday night to appoint Melissa “Missy” McTiernan to serve as the next superintendent of the district at an annual salary of $245,000.

The school board agreed to award an additional $5,000 for distinguished performance and $2,500 for proficient performance at the end of the first year. The contract is effective on Nov. 1 and runs until June 30, 2028.

The audience applauded as Dr. Alan Fegley, superintendent, gave McTiernan a district T-shirt.

McTiernan then shook hands with the board members, thanking them for hiring her as superintendent.

“I am grateful,” she said. “Thank you so much. I can’t wait to get here. This community is great.”

The district covers 22 square miles and consists of the borough of Phoenixville and East Pikeland and Schuylkill townships. The district has 4,000 students.

McTiernan, a northeast Pennsylvania native, was named superintendent of the Scranton School District, a diverse district with more than 50 languages spoken, in 2019.

She plans to move to the Phoenixville district with her husband, Bob, who was also a long-time education leader in Pennsylvania.

The Phoenixville district has six schools: Phoenixville Area Learning Center, Barkley Elementary, Manavon Elementary, Schuylkill Elementary, Phoenixville Area Middle School, and Phoenixville High School.

Fegley's retirement was accepted by the board in April. He was superintendent for 13 years.

“After a rigorous national search that resulted in many outstanding candidates, Missy McTiernan clearly rose to the top, impressing the board with her drive, pragmatic leadership style, and commitment to ensuring equitable opportunities were available for every student in her district,” said Susan Turner, board president.

Turner said the board is grateful to Fegley for his leadership over the past 13 years.

McTiernan comes to Phoenixville following a successful tenure at the helm of the 9,300-student Scranton School District, where she was known for her unwavering dedication and passion for the students, according to a statement from the Phoenixville school board.

In April, the school board hired Hazard, Young Attea & Associates, Schaumburg, Ill., to recruit a superintendent. The search yielded applicants from eleven states.

The district hosted more than 20 meetings to obtain input from the community on a new superintendent.

Experience

McTiernan’s career in education began after playing on the 1994-95 University of Connecticut NCAA championship women’s basketball team.

Most recently, McTiernan served as chief academic officer in Scranton for three years, before being promoted to superintendent in 2019.

Prior to joining the central office in Scranton, McTiernan spent more than a decade in building-level administration, serving as the assistant principal or principal with experience across the full range of K-12 students.

She also spent six years in the classroom as a teacher in districts in Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

Education

McTiernan earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Connecticut, where she was a four-time Big East Academic All-Star.
She also earned a master’s degree from Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, in educational leadership.