By Kyle Carrozza, Staff Writer, The Times

New Interim Superintendent Dr. Leonard Fitts speaks to the administrators, staff, and citizens present at Tuesday’s press conference.

CALN – The Coatesville Area School District School Board announced the appointment of Dr. Leonard Fitts as interim superintendent at a press conference held at the 9/10 Center on Tuesday afternoon.

Fitts, who has experience as a superintendent of multiple districts, will begin duties Wednesday while acting superintendent Dr. Angelo Romaniello will resume his previous duties as assistant to the superintendent, and acting assistant superintendent Teresa Powell will resume her previous duties as Director of Middle School Education.

“We must continue our work to make this the best, the finest district in the valley. We must remember that education, through our schools, is the gateway to opportunity for children,” Fitts said. “That’s our purpose; that’s my vision; that’s my commitment.”

Fitts said that he is looking forward to the challenge of being superintendent, especially in such a racially and socioeconomically diverse community.

“I work with diversity from its richness — its richness in terms of its people, its culture, its values, and its orientation. So what we want to do is to take that rich culture, and we want to learn how to blend it because when you blend the richness of culture, you can get a phenomenal product,” he said.

The newly appointed interim superintendent said that, while he is familiar with recent controversies surrounding the district, it is his job to move forward, rather than looking back.

“This is my moment in time to go forward and not to go backward,” he said. “Whatever is in the archives is in the archives.”

Fitts also stated that he will look to open lines of communication in coming months, possibly using the campus television system or newsletters to reach the community.

Fiits served as interim superintendent of schools for the Berlin Township Public Schools in New Jersey, as well as in districts in the Glassboro, Camden and Willingboro areas. Trained as a psychologist, he has experience as a building principal and as a county superintendent.

School board members said that Fitts has agreed to be superintendent for six months but is willing to stay up to a year, should the board not find a new superintendent by then.

Board President Neil Campbell said that the board has been discussing finding a new interim superintendent for the past two or three weeks. The board felt that the move was necessary in order to help move the district forward.

“Nothing against Dr. Romaniello, I think he did a fantastic job as acting superintendent; but at the same time, we listened, we heard from everybody in this community, and we knew that we had to do something,” said Campbell.

The district will be working with the Pennsylvania School Board Association to find a permanent superintendent.