WILSON BOROUGH, Pa. — Wilson Area School Board approved a promotion that will see the district's director of curriculum and instruction step into an assistant superintendent role.
Amy Austin was approved as the district’s new assistant superintendent, with a contract effective from Feb. 4 to June 30, 2030, at a salary of $140,000 a year.
Austin said her new role will assimilate many of the responsibilities she held as a director of curriculum and instruction.
Those include oversight of hiring, supervision of the new educator instruction program, supervision of the district’s Pennsylvania Information Management System and child accounting department information.
"I'll be in charge of the state reporting for school safety, making sure that we have all of our mandates in place."Wilson Area Schools new assistantsSuperintendent Amy Austin
Moving forward, Austin will add more to her administrative plate.
“I'll be the district's safety coordinator, so I'll be in charge of the state reporting for school safety, making sure that we have all of our mandates in place," she said.
"Another huge part of my director position, and also this position, is I organize and oversee all the professional development for everyone in the district. That's a pretty, pretty big chunk.”
'A fabulous place to work'
Austin said her “major role” will be supporting the district’s principals and providing additional support for the incoming superintendent.
According to her LinkedIn resume, Austin has worked for the district for 18 years, serving as director of curriculum and instruction since July 2023.
“I love this district. I don't want to leave this district. I came here in 2007, and I plan on ending my career in this district. It's really a fabulous place to work."Wilson Area Schools new assistant superintendent Amy Austin
Austin previously worked as a teacher at East Stroudsburg High School North before making her way to Wilson.
Starting as an assistant principal at the intermediate school from 2007-13, Austin went on to become principal of Wilson Borough Elementary School for 10 years.
A Lock Haven University graduate, Austin got a master’s degree at Wilkes University. She also holds a superintendent’s letter of eligibility from Pennsylvania Western University, according to her online resume.
Austin said she is excited to step into the position and said that she wishes “to support the schools, support the teachers, and improve.”
“I love this district," she said. "I don't want to leave this district. I came here in 2007, and I plan on ending my career in this district. It's really a fabulous place to work."
Superintendent set to start Feb. 18
Austin’s promotion comes a month and a half after the district appointed Harrison Bailey III as the superintendent of schools at the Dec. 16 board meeting.
Since July, the district has had Wilson Area High School Principal John Martuscelli serve in the role of acting superintendent, with his appointment originally set to end in June 2025, or “as needed” during that time frame.
Bailey, who previously worked in Bethlehem Area School District and Parkland School District, has most recently served as the principal of Liberty High School for the past 12 and a half years.
A 1995 Lafayette College graduate, Bailey got a doctorate in education at East Stroudsburg University in 2020 and a Doctor of Humane Letters at Lafayette in 2022.
He will take on his new position effective Feb. 18. Salary information was not immediately available for Bailey’s role, though Martuscelli previously earned $202,000 in his interim position.
Pleased by appointment
Bailey said he was pleased to see Austin’s appointment as assistant superintendent.
He described her ascension as “a vote of confidence in the need to make sure that there are leaders in positions that need to be in support of our teachers and our staff.”
“It really just is about making sure that we make sound decisions that keep the district in a good position in terms of being able to educate our kids and ultimately create good citizens."New Wilson Area Schools Superintendent Harrison Bailey III
“When you work in the central office, you are the individuals who support the individuals who work with the kids, and so it's important to have everyone you need in place to make sure that people get what they need," Bailey said.
"So I'm very happy that the board supported that position."
Speaking on his appointment to superintendent, Bailey said the focus is actually rather simple.
“It really just is about making sure that we make sound decisions that keep the district in a good position in terms of being able to educate our kids and ultimately create good citizens," he said.
"And so everything we can do in that vein is time and money well spent."
