The Bald Eagle Area School Board appointed the district’s next superintendent during a special meeting on Thursday night.
Curtis A. Whitesel, currently the superintendent Homer-Center School District in Indiana County, was selected from a field of 20 applicants, according to a district news release. He succeeds Scott Graham, who retired on April 1, citing health issues.
“I am extremely excited to join the Bald Eagle Area School District family,” Whitesel said in a news release. “There is no other school district I would rather be part of, and I know we will do great things together. I look forward to getting to know the students, staff, and community that makes the Bald Eagle Area one of the premier districts in the state.”
Whitesel’s start date is Oct. 1 and the contract approved by the board runs through June 30, 2027, according to the meeting agenda.
Interim Superintendent Joseph Clapper, who has been in the role since Graham’s departure, will stay on until Whitesel’s arrival.
Whitesel has led Homer-Center School District since 2019. Prior to that, he was a principal in the Mount Union Area School District serving Huntingdon and Mifflin counties, including 15 years as a high school principal.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and as master’s degree in special education, both from Shippensburg University, as well as certifications as a principal and school superintendent.
“The Board of Education is delighted that Mr. Curt Whitesel will be joining Bald Eagle Area as our superintendent,” School Board President Tina Greene said in a statement. “We look forward to working alongside of Mr. Whitesel as he brings his experience and excellent leadership to our school community.”
