Shikellamy reassigns employees, hires new middle school principal

Jan. 14—SUNBURY — Shikellamy Middle School Principal Steve Renn is now the Oaklyn Elementary School principal after being voted in by the school board Thursday night.

The district had the middle school position open after former middle school Principal Angela Farronato resigned from her position. She announced last year she would be retiring.

Farronato came back to the district in order to help out until the district found a replacement.

Oaklyn Elementary was being run part-time by Principal Roy Burns, who was splitting his time between Oaklyn and Priestley elementaries.

Members of the teaching staff in the district had asked the school board to consider hiring a principal at either school so that those buildings would have someone there all day. Superintendent Jason Bendle said the board decided to move Renn to Oaklyn.

Burns will now remain at Priestley full-time.

During Thursday's meeting, the district then hired Trevor Palmatier, who is currently working in the Berwick School District, as principal of Shikellamy Middle School. Palmatier will earn $88,000 in his position. He will begin in about two months, Superintendent Jason Bendle said.

Palmatier thanked the school board and said he was excited to come to Shikellamy.

Renn, who has been at the middle school for the past six years, said he was honored to be part of the district and looked forward to his new location.

"I am nothing short of honored to be going to Oaklyn," he said. "You will get the best out of me every day and I am not going to just walk away from the middle school and will be available to help in any way I can."

Renn's salary is $107,339.

The district also approved administration to begin getting bids for upgrades in technology for telephones and internet services through the district as part of school director Jennifer Wetzel and Technology Director Dale Martin's plan on continuing to upgrade outdated materials.