Wilkinsburg School District board directors unanimously appointed Joseph Petrella as district superintendent at a special legislative meeting Wednesday night.
Mr. Petrella's term will last three years with a starting salary of $110,000.
Former acting superintendent Dan Matsook will act as a consultant for the district during a transitional period of approximately six months. Since August, he has led the fiscally strapped district of about 800 students. Mr. Matsook said a large part of his role as consultant will include providing institutional knowledge and background on the district's ongoing initiatives, many of which began in the last school year.
The district announced in May plans to find an educational partner to take middle and high school students on a tuition basis. It also will finalize in the upcoming school year a technology initiative launched last fall to provide iPads for every elementary student in the district.
"Joe's done this before, so I expect the transition to be pretty smooth," Mr. Matsook said after Wednesday's meeting. "I'm really excited about the expertise he's bringing to the table."
Mr. Petrella comes from the Diamond Lake School District in Mundelein, Ill. During his three-year tenure in the district, he helped devise a revamped curriculum and provided increased interventions for academically struggling students. Instituting similar interventions, as well as more internal structure between teachers, schools and district administrators, are some of his top priorities, he said.
"I'm excited and hopeful and ready to get started," Mr. Petrella said Wednesday. "The best thing about this transition is the team we're working with. At the front of everything we do is making things better for the kids."
First Published: July 16, 2015, 1:22 a.m.