HASD hires interim chief

McLaurin will fill in for Gildea, who will be superintendent at Lower Dauphin

HOLLIDAYSBURG -- The Hollidaysburg Area School Board hired Darren McLaurin as acting superintendent on Wednesday night to fill in for outgoing Superintendent Robert Gildea.

Gildea is leaving Hollidaysburg Oct. 27 to become superintendent at Lower Dauphin School District.

The board unanimously appointed McLaurin at a rate of $550 per day from Oct. 30 through Oct. 30, 2024, or until the district hires a new superintendent, whichever occurs first.

McLaurin served as Claysburg-Kimmel superintendent from December 2017 to July 2022. He had announced his retirement there in December 2021.

Gildea, who will be leaving Hollidaysburg after three decades, said he thought McLaurin was a good choice for interim superintendent.

"I think he will do a great job and he is what Hollidaysburg needs now," he said.

Gildea also mentioned that McLaurin lives in the district with his family and has a child in the district.

Gildea said McLaurin will begin shadowing him on Friday, Oct. 20, until the following Friday and will officially start as acting superintendent on Monday, Oct. 30.

Board President Ronald Sommer said that in Gildea, Lower Dauphin is getting a great leader and a great person and that Gildea will be missed at Hollidaysburg.

He said the board is going to have its work cut out for it to find a new superintendent.

"We just have to find a good person to replace him and to keep moving the district forward," Sommer said.

He said there is currently no plan in place to begin the process of searching for Gildea's successor and the board will discuss the next steps in its coming meetings.

Gildea started at Hollidaysburg Area School District in 1990 as an elementary teacher, before he was promoted to principal of Foot of Ten Elementary.

He was then the principal of the Hollidaysburg Area Cyber Academy and the athletic director for one year before being named superintendent in 2013.

The Lower Dauphin School Board approved Gildea as its new superintendent in August.

His appointment is the result of a nearly six-month search after the previous superintendent stepped down following claims of racism and discrimination within the district.

Gildea's new contract is for five years, starting at a salary of $190,000.

Sommer thanked Gildea for his service to Hollidaysburg over the years.

"Bob always told me that whenever he left (Hollidaysburg), he wanted it to be in a better condition than when he started and I think he achieved his goal in the last 10 years," he said.

Sommer said the schools have excelled in all areas during that decade.

He presented Gildea a certificate to recognize his years of service and dedication to students in the area.

Gildea was presented with a few items to use in his new office, including a binder clip and tumbler with the "H" logo representing the school district as a parting gift.