Dr. Pate-Hefty to Depart WUSD, Named Superintendent of Manheim Township School District in Pennsylvania
The Whitewater Unified School District School Board has announced that Superintendent Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty has been named the next superintendent of the Manheim Township School District in Pennsylvania. Dr. Pate-Hefty has served as WUSD superintendent since 2020.
“We want to thank Dr. Pate-Hefty for her outstanding work and leadership over the past five years,” said Board President Jennifer Kienbaum. “In that time, our district has managed the effects of a global pandemic and kept the focus on providing a truly exceptional educational experience to our students. We wish Dr. Pate-Hefty the very best as she takes this next step in her career in educational leadership.”
The School Board will immediately begin its search for the next superintendent of WUSD. This will start with soliciting proposals for a search firm. The chosen firm will assist with recruiting, screening, and the interview process.
“As a board, our focus will now shift to ensuring we have a highly effective new leader in place as we prepare for the 2025-26 school year,” Kienbaum said. “We look forward to engaging our community as we embark on this important process.”
Editor’s note: The above press release was provided by the Whitewater Unified School District. An announcement that was made by the Manheim Township School District may be found here. It mentions that Pate-Hefty “will be relocating to Manheim Township with her husband and two daughters and looks forward to being closer to her oldest [sic] son, who will be attending the U.S. Naval Academy in the fall of 2025.” The website indicates that “The Manheim Township is a single municipality government in Lancaster County. We are approximately 23 square miles, with +16,000 residential dwellings and approximately 44,000 residents. We have a public school population of +5,000 students in kindergarten through twelfth grades. There are six elementary schools (K-4), an intermediate school (grades 5 & 6), one middle school (grades 7 & 8), and one high school (grades 9-12). Both residential and commercial growth has been consistent in Manheim Township…” The district indicated that there was strong interest in their position, as evidenced by 35 applications from 10 states. Per lancasteronline.com, “Former Manheim Township Superintendent Robin Felty stepped down to start as chief operating officer to the Lancaster-based Barley Snyder law firm in December 2024.” Dr. Felty retired after over eight years as the superintendent.
The WUSD School Board has scheduled a special meeting on March 31 to act on Dr. Pate-Hefty’s resignation and consider search firms to assist with the search for a new superintendent.
