Phoenixville Area School Board To Name Superintendent Tonight: Board

PHOENIXVILLE, PA – Phoenixville Area School Board is set to vote tonight to appoint Melissa “Missy” McTiernan to serve as the next superintendent of the district, officials told Patch.

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.

McTiernan will replace Dr. Alan Fegley, whose retirement was accepted by the board in April. Fegley 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.

“While he leaves behind big shoes to fill, we are confident that McTiernan has the experience and drive to continue to move the district forward and provide our students with a world-class education,” she said in a prepared statement.

McTiernan comes to Phoenixville following a historic and 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 student, 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.