At the Thursday, March 26, meeting, board President Ken Keith highlighted Hey’s extensive administrative experience in the district
The Souderton Area School Board announced its intention to appoint Assistant Superintendent Christopher Hey as the district’s next superintendent.
The news follows the recently-announced retirement of Superintendent Frank Gallagher after 13 years as superintendent and 25 years of administrative leadership in the district.
Hey has held various administrative positions in the district since 2001, including lead assistant principal at Souderton Area High School, director of human resources, and assistant superintendent for the past 13 years.
At the Thursday, March 26, meeting, board President Ken Keith highlighted Hey’s extensive administrative experience in the district,
“National research strongly and consistently shows that continuity and stability in leadership has a direct positive correlation with student achievement,” said Keith. “Leveraging leadership, depth and knowledge of the school district, I am very confident Dr. Hey will continue to lead the district as a collaborative, communicative and capable administrator whose thoughtful approach will help us continue to prioritize student achievement.”
Gallagher expressed “complete confidence” in Hey’s leadership abilities, underscoring their close working relationship throughout Gallagher’s tenure.
“He’s helped make the most difficult decisions we’ve had to make and also helped create programs to celebrate the success of our students, including the full-day kindergarten program,” said Gallagher, adding, “He’s been able to keep labor peace in this district for 15 years. That’s an achievement.”
Hey thanked board members for their “trust” in him and expressed pride in the board’s decision.
“I bleed red as Mr. Keith says often because I’ve been here for 25 years,” said Hey. “I want to communicate and collaborate with every member of our school community to keep this district the community where character counts and the great traditions that we have here and move forward with every member in mind.”
The board expects to appoint Hey to a three-year contract at its April 30 action meeting, effective July 1, 2026, said Keith.
Halteman Gate
The board approved a motion to submit a modified land use application to Franconia Township to open the security gate at the high school’s back entrance off Halteman Road. The move follows increasing community concerns about traffic congestion and the obstruction of emergency personnel. The gate can currently be unlocked by both district and emergency personnel, said school officials.
While Superintendent Frank Gallagher has initiated the process of conducting a traffic study, a requirement for a land use application, the motion was approved after board member Andrew Souchet expressed an interest in expanding public dialogue about the gate and expediting the process. Gallagher said that he will present a traffic study timeline at the board’s April committee meetings.
State legislative update
Board member Rosemary Buetokifer, the board’s liaison to the Montgomery County School Directors Legislative Committee, informed fellow board members of “strong legislative support” for a pending state bill to ban cell phone usage in schools. She noted that the committee has requested additional flexibility for school districts.
Buetikofer additionally reported on Governor Shapiro’s proposed 2026-2027 budget, which maintains current tax levels by tapping into the state’s rainy-day fund and proposing two new revenue streams, including a skill games tax and the legalization of recreational marijuana, estimated to generate between $600 million to $1 billion annually. Both proposals are still under consideration in the Republican-controlled State Senate and Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, said Buetikofer.
The board also tabled a motion to approve the meeting minutes from the board’s February board action meeting after board member Corinne DeGeiso pointed out errors in the minutes, as well as a second reading of a revised membership policy after DeGeiso requested a formal update on the revisions. Both items will return to the committee for further discussion and review.
This article appears courtesy of a content share agreement between Fideri News Network and The Reporter. To read more stories like this, visit https://www.thereporteronline.com
