Woodland Hills School Directors Oust Superintendent

Pittsburgh PA

18 November, 2021

7:36 AM

Description

CHURCHILL, PA — Woodland Hills school directors on Wednesday fired Superintendent James Harris. The vote was 8-1, with the school board failing to detail the reason for his termination, which is effective Dec. 17. "After much discussion, the board has opted to go in a different direction with district leadership," a statement released by the district stated. "This is not a decision that was taken lightly, but it is one that the board believes is necessary for the district to move forward. We thank Mr. Harris for his service as the district superintendent and will work with him to ensure a smooth transition." The board said the search for a new superintendent will begin immediately. It's unclear how much the termination will cost the district. Harris, who was hired in 2018, has a contract that runs through 2023. Woodland Hills last month briefly switched to online instruction after what were termed "credible threats" were made following several fights involving many students broke out at Woodland Hills High School. In another incident last month, security was boosted at the high school when a student allegedly threatened to bring a gun into the building during an Instagram Live broadcast. Woodland Hills serves the suburban Pittsburgh communities of Braddock, Braddock Hills, Chalfant, Churchill, East Pittsburgh, Edgewood, Forest Hills, North Braddock, Rankin, Swissvale, Turtle Creek and Wilkins. Be the first to know what's happening in your community and region. With a free Patch subscription, you'll always be up to date on local and state news: https://patch.com/subscribe.