Superintendent Dr. Timothy Bowers will be staying on with the Williamsport Area School District after the board approved an employment contract extending his position for the period from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029.

Under the new contract, Bowers will receive an annual salary of $218,000, Greg Hayes, executive director of the Williamsport Area School District Education Foundation and district public relations coordinator, confirmed to the Sun-Gazette on Wednesday.

“This is my 10th year at Williamsport, and it’s been a pretty crazy 10 years. We’ve done a lot of really neat things, and I think our district is on such a cool track to do amazing things for the kids,” Bowers said.

Bowers said the decision to remain in the position was a tough one, especially in light of the recent retirement of his wife, former Montgomery Area School District Superintendent Daphne Bowers.

“But you know, I love what I do. I think the district’s doing so well, and I want to continue that,” he said.

“This is my 21st year as a superintendent in Pennsylvania, and my goal really is to make sure that not only do we continue to do well, but we set up success for future leaders in our school district,” Bowers said.

“My goal for this next contract is to make sure that we are completely ready for that next leader, that next superintendent to come in and keep running with the ball, to make sure that we’re doing what’s best for our community and what’s best for our kids,” he added.

Other actions taken by the board include approving an amendment to the plan agreement between the district and U.S. OMNI & TSCACG Compliance Services addressing changes in TSACG fees applicable to investment providers for retirement plan administration (403b) and compliance.

The fee changes only apply to the investment providers, not the district; and resolutions authorizing the administration to work with PFM Financial Advisors LLC as financial adviser, and Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC as bond counsel and the district solicitor, in conjunction with the issuance of General Obligation Bonds, in amounts not to exceed $10,000,000 for the purpose of funding capital projects of the district, for series 2025 and 2026, respectively.

In financial matters, the board approved the purchase of Tenable One vulnerability management with identity exposure management from Trebron, of Strasburg, at a cost of $63,136; an amendment to the agreement with Elk Environmental Services, of Reading, in the amount of $2,347, for the transportation and disposal of old specimens and chemicals from the science lab classrooms and storage rooms at the middle and high schools, for a total cost of $12,347; the purchase of choral risers from Wenger Corporation, of Owatonna, Minn., to be used at Curtin Intermediate School, in the amount of $10,721; the purchase of 150 marching band uniforms from The Graphic Hive, of South Williamsport, in the amount of $16,871; the renewal of site licenses with the Committee for Children’s Second Step program for the 2025-26 school year, in the amount of $16,056, to be paid through Title IV funding; the purchase of one John Deere X758, 4WD, HDAP Signature R Series Tractor with a 54-inch mower deck, one Front Quick Hitch, one Hydraulic lift and one Hydraulic Angling for Hepburn-Lycoming Primary School to replace an X595 John Deere from Deere & Company (LandPro Equipment LLC), 2000 John Deere Run, Cary, N.C., in the amount of $15,086; and an amendment to the agreement with Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates, Mechanicsburg, for the revised project scope for high school stadium press box with Kleinfelder Inc., Mechanicsburg, in the amount of $3,300.

In staffing matters, the board approved Brandy Smith as full-time business administrator at a yearly salary of $140,000, effective Dec. 1, through June 30, 2031; Jennifer Rugh as a full-time reading specialist at Jackson Elementary School at a yearly salary of $81,604, effective Sept. 29; Jennifer Watt as full-time eighth grade science teacher at the middle school at a yearly salary of $78,060, effective Oct. 20; Cameron Trapani as full-time second grade teacher at Hepburn-Lycoming Primary School, at a yearly salary of $58,688, effective Aug. 20; Hayley Edwards as part-time aide at the middle school at an hourly rate of $18.64, effective Sept. 10; Katlyn Harrison at Cochran Primary School, effective Sept. 10, Samuel Hillman at the high school, effective Aug. 20, 2025, Heather LeBourgeois, at Hepburn-Lycoming Primary School, effective Aug. 20, and Elizabeth Rice, at Curtin, effective Aug. 20, 2025, as long-term substitutes, all with stipends of $58,688; Cheyenne Bastian-Brown, Isabella Bachman, Christen Ditzler, Rachael Murawski, Lia Killoran and Isabel Vonstein, as substitute teachers and aides, effective Sept. 10; Makayla Force, Tracey Graff, Brandon Lusk, Terese Mackin, Marcia McCann, Amber Roatche, Alayne Smith and Crissy Walker as middle school after-school tutors at an hourly rate of $35.10; Jessica Eckman, Jessica Gee, Amy Mahon, Elizabeth Manetta, Lily Meixel, Todd Nagy and Jody Schefsky as high school after-school tutors at an hourly rate of $35.10.

The board also acknowledged the resignations of Valaquenta Anderson as full-time special education teacher, effective Aug. 20; Candice Sampson as full-time first grade teacher, effective Aug. 13, and Caleb Wertz as part-time aide support, effective Sept. 24.

The next meeting will be at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14.