THE FOLLOWING STORY IS A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE NORTH PENN SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. KNIGHT CRIER EXECUTIVE EDITOR MILAN VARIA WILL HAVE A FULL STORY UPCOMING IN THE KNIGHT CRIER. 

LANSDALE – North Penn School District Superintendent Dr. Curtis R. Dietrich announced today that he will retire from the district in June.

“With gratitude to this incredible school district, it is time for me to think about what awaits me outside of North Penn and thus I will be retiring at the end of my current contract on June 30, 2022, “ said Dr. Dietrich in a recorded message to staff and students.  “I am making this announcement now so that our school community and its elected school board is provided ample time to plan its next steps for naming its next superintendent.”

Dr. Dietrich is NPSD’s longest-serving superintendent and will have served more than 12 years when his term ends. He joined NPSD 16 years ago in 2006 as assistant superintendent and was appointed superintendent effective February 15, 2010. His time as superintendent is longer than the average tenure of superintendents nationwide which is approximately five years.

During Dr. Dietrich’s 12 years as superintendent, he led NPSD’s push to provide one-to-one technology for all students, a full-day kindergarten program, and a strong commitment to inclusion and diversity. On the operational side of his duties, he is largely responsible for NPSD’s involvement in self-insured health care saving millions of dollars over the years, overseeing building renovations at eight of NPSD buildings, and developing safety plans and security protocols for our schools. All the while, students continued to strive in all areas of academics, sports and activities. North Penn High School became the first school in the nation to bring an Augmented Reality program to students.

Of course, the past 12 years also brought challenges to the district, which Dr. Dietrich’s leadership overcame, including a fire at North Penn High School,  the financial impact of state budgetary cuts, a rise in school violence nationwide, staff shortages, and most recently COVID-19 and the closure of schools. Through his commitment to stakeholder engagement coupled with data driven decisions, Dr. Dietrich has led NPSD into 2022. 

“The Board of School Directors thanks Dr. Dietrich for his leadership over the last 16 years and particularly  in these unprecedented times. His expertise and commitment to NPSD is remarkable and deeply appreciated. Curt’s retirement is well- earned and we wish him nothing but the best during the years ahead.” said Tina Stoll, president, NPSD Board of School Directors. “This community is extremely fortunate to have had Dr. Dietrich as our leader for as long as we did and he will be deeply missed.”

Prior to joining North Penn in 2006, Dr. Dietrich served 10 years as high school principal for the Saucon Valley School District in the Lehigh Valley. During that time, he was selected Principal of the Year for Pennsylvania by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. During his 40-plus years in education, Dr. Dietrich’s other positions have included assistant high school principal, chemistry, biology and general science teacher and industry-education coordinator. In addition, he spent 16 years on the Northwestern Lehigh School Board (six years as president) and six years on the Lehigh County Vocational-Technical Career School Joint Operating Committee (two years as vice-chairman). An undergraduate of Penn State University, Dr. Dietrich received his teacher certification from Cedar Crest College and his Master’s of Education and Doctor of Education from Lehigh University. 

Dr. Dietrich announced his retirement during North Penn Right Now, a monthly program produced and broadcast live on North Penn Television. You can watch the video message here.