web1_Keener.jpg

Kingston/Forty Fort ousted from Junior Softball Regionals with 6-1 loss

web1_gavel.jpg

Substitute teacher reaches plea in exposure case

<p>HANOVER TWP. &#8212; The Hanover Area School Board voted to accept an early retirement for Superintendent Andrew Kuhl on Wednesday, officials say.</p><p>District solicitor Jack Dean said Kuhl was originally contracted to serve two more years, but under the deal, his last day will be Monday.</p><p>&#8220;I am certainly going to miss the interaction with the kids and families,&#8221; Kuhl said. &#8220;That was the highlight of my career.&#8221;</p><p>The board appointed Hanover Green Elementary Principal William Jones as acting superintendent.</p><p>Under the agreement, Kuhl will be paid for unused sick time and the district will buy back his vacation time, for a severance amount totaling $18,500.</p><p>He will also get district-paid health insurance coverage until 2024.</p><p>&#8220;It was a mutual decision from both Andy and the board,&#8221; Dean said. &#8220;Andy is a great guy, and they wished him well.&#8221;</p><p>Kuhl said he has applied for his pension from state Public School Employee Retirement System. He spent 27 years in education at Wilkes-Barre Area School District before accepting the job as Hanover Area superintendent in 2013. He was given an initial three-year contract that was extended another three years.</p><p>Kuhl&#8217;s path to departure began in March when the school board voted to set up a &#8220;Voluntary Employee Separation Program,&#8221; or VESP, for one year in an effort to reduce costs, expecting veteran staff at the high end of the pay scale to retire and be replaced by new employees at lower salaries.</p><p>At the same meeting, the board gave former business manager Tom Cipriano notice of intent not to renew his contract, set to expire in September. The contract included a clause requiring such notice six months before the deal expired.</p><p>Both Kuhl and Cipriano expressed written interest in the VESP, but the board declined to act on those requests at a June 14 meeting, when VESPs were approved for three teachers.</p><p>Cipriano landed a job as assistant business manager at the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit, effective July 19. At a June 28 meeting, the board voted to have solicitor Dean negotiate an end to Kuhl&#8217;s contract. The vote Wednesday was the culmination of those negotiations.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_Kuhl-Andy-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Andrew Kuhl</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_Kuhl-Andy-3.jpg</photo0><caption0>Andrew Kuhl</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Patrick Kernan</p><p>pkernan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6119</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Hanover Area accepts early retirement for superintendent