Hempfield administrator to serve as Mars superintendent

An administrator at the Hempfield Area School District has been hired to become the superintendent at a Butler County district.

Mark Gross, the assistant superintendent for secondary education at Hempfield, will begin his new position with the Mars Area School District on July 1, according to a notice on the district’s website. Gross was not immediately available for comment Thursday night.

“I am prepared to work closely with the entire Mars Area community as we create a compelling future for the organization,” Gross said in a news release. “I have had the opportunity to interact with the board, with members of the leadership team, faculty and staff, and I see their passion around supporting all students.”

The Mars school board hired Gross on Tuesday night and agreed to a five-year contract.

Gross has worked at Hempfield since 2013.

Prior to that position he served as a K-12 district curriculum coordinator at the Indiana Area School District; a high school principal at Somerset Area, Shade-Central City and Berlin Brothersvalley school districts; a supervisor of special education at Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8 and as a learning support teacher in the Lancaster City and York City school districts.

He holds a doctorate of education in administrative and leadership studies and a bachelor’s degree in education of exceptional, both from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He also has a master’s degree in school administration from Western Maryland College.

“From our first virtual introduction, there was something special about Dr. Gross that continued to grow and strengthen with each subsequent interaction,” Mars board president John Kennedy said in the release. “The more that we learned about his leadership style, diverse educational experiences and passion for student success, the more we became convinced that he is the very best choice to lead our School District into its bright future.”

“I am ready to open the next chapter in my career and to lead Mars Area School District,” Gross said.