Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Bristol Township School District Superintendent Dr. Sam Lee is expected to leave his current post to take a job leading the Bensalem School District.
The Bensalem School Board voted to approve Lee’s hire at a Tuesday evening meeting. His new contract, which he still has to sign, will keep him in the district for at least five years. Lee will start his Bensalem job making $178,000 per year, which is more his current yearly $160,000 salary.
Advertisements
Lee, who lives in Bensalem and has school-aged children enrolled there, is expected to assume his new role starting on September 1. His last day working at the Mill Creek Road administration offices has not been decided, as he still needs to negotiate it with the board.
Who will take Lee’s position long-term and in the interim is unknown. A statement from the Bristol Township School Board President Angela Nober said the district will begin looking at options for position starting Wednesday evening.
“The search for Dr. Lee’s replacement will be deliberate, exhaustive and focused on the continued advancement of Bristol Township Schools,” the statement read. “Knowing we have a skilled and capable team to work with during this transition will allow us to conduct a thorough search and make the process as seamless as possible for all involved. A decision need not,and will not, be made in haste.”
Advertisements
Lee started working in Bristol Township in 2010 after a stint in New Jersey.
For the past several weeks, rumors of Lee’s departure from the district have been circulating. Last week, LevittownNow.com cited a source who stated Bensalem officials were interested in hiring Lee.
Advertisements
“I can not imagine a finer candidate (for the position),” Bensalem School District Superintendent Dr. David Baugh said after vote. “He is a gentleman and a scholar.”
Lee said he is grateful for the opportunity and looking forward to serving the community in which his lives in, a first for the longtime educator.
Lee said both districts faced similar challenges, citing pension costs and funding.
Advertisements
Leaving Bristol Township will be bittersweet for Lee, who said last week that he enjoys working in the district and with its staff. Lee’s planned departure comes during behind-schedule construction of three new elementary schools and while the school system that serves about 6,200 students works to get back to solid financial footing. When asked by reporters, he said he proud of the district’s 1-on-1 program in the middle schools, the new facilities and programs for “special learners.”
Baugh elected not to renew his contract and has been looking for employment elsewhere. He made just over $166,000 in 2014 to lead the Bensalem School District. During his tenure, Baugh weeded out corruption and fraud inside the district.
