Trinity names new superintendent

Trinity Area School Board hired a superintendent Thursday, finding a new leader with a background in education and business.

The board gave Paul Kasunich, the current Blackhawk School District superintendent, a five-year contract. He will make $135,000 for the first 15 months of his contract, which will run from July 1 to June 30 after the first year.

He will start 60 days from today, according to the contract. Kasunich will replace Thomas Turnbaugh, who left last summer to take a job in a district in eastern Pennsylvania. Trinity has had two acting superintendents since then.

Kasunich was not at Trinity's board meeting and could not be reached for comment Thursday because he was attending a Blackhawk meeting.

Jack Keisling, who led Trinity's superintendent search committee, said he's participated in a superintendent search committee three times during his tenure on the school board.

"I'm most pleased with this hire," he said.

Keisling said he likes that Kasunich has a background in business and education.

Kasunich was an executive for General Electric and AT&T before switching careers in the 1990s to pursue a job in education. He has held several administrative positions within Blackhawk since 2003 and was a teacher in Shaler Area School District for six years.

"He's got a great vision and is strongly interested in each child and their improvement," Keisling said. "He comes from a district that's doing well."

Board President Tom Bodnovich said as the committee went through the process, he hoped members would find someone who fit in with Trinity's culture.

He said Kasunich does just that.

Board member Scott Day said he wasn't searching for a candidate with a business background, but he likes the balance the new superintendent brings to the table.

"He's good with budgets. He's good with finances," Day said. "And the test scores (at Blackhawk) are improving. They are moving in the right direction."

However, in his years as superintendent at Blackhawk, Kasunich also presided over a district in turmoil triggered by a controversial building project that resulted in a majority of the school board being ousted in last year's election.

Trinity's search wasn't without controversy as some members of the public wanted more input into the hiring of the superintendent. The board did have questionnaires available at schools for community members to write what they wanted in a superintendent.

However, the public did not get to meet Kasunich before he was hired. At Thursday's meeting, some residents said that should change in the future. Others said that the community should give the new superintendent a chance.