Wallingford Swarthmore Superintendent Is Gone, Gone, Gone

Wallingford Swarthmore Superintendent Is Gone, Gone, Gone

By Bob Small

One of the five demands at a contentious Wallingford Swarthmore School Board meeting was an independent review of Superintendent Wagner Marseille.

It was announced, Aug. 16, “the Board and Marseille . . . have mutually agreed to pursue an amicable conclusion to Dr. Marseille’s service as district superintendent”.

A special meeting was held Aug. 22 to vote on the terms of the separation agreement.

Jim Scanlon, a former West Chester superintendent, is expected to be voted in as the interim superintendent.

As noted in previous articles, parents accused Dr. Marseille of alienating staff members with his high- handed approach, and questionable spending decisions, such as hiring more administrators in lieu of staff, teachers, and repairs on the physical plant.

In the article in the Glenside local, we had some of Dr. Marseille’s backstory. He was a former track star who represented Haiti in the 1996 Olympics. He is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson where he was a Division 1 All-American.

He served at Cheltenham schools from 2015 to 2021. He received the annual President’s Award from the Cheltenham area NAACP Branch in 2012. He is enshrined in Princeton High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

See also Wallingford-Swarthmore schools superintendent is out

Possibly a more diverse school board, including both academics and business people (with a history of hiring employees) could learn from each other and might provide a better model than the all-academic current board.

Just sayin.’

Today, the Swarthmorean newspaper returned from vacation (probably down the shore) and had an article which mentioned that, in his first seven months “he paid more than $70,000 for consultants and audits”. It also noted the recent resignations of Strath Haven Principal Greg Hilden; Wallingford Elementary School Principal Gabe Savage; and Assistant Superintendent James Conley.”

The School Board will meet Tuesday, August 27.

This has gotten very little play in local and regional media. Perhaps Swarthmore is not as important as we all think we are. No, I did not say that!

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