Spring-Ford officially welcomed new Superintendent Dr. Jay Burkhart in April, marking the beginning of a new chapter for Spring-Ford during a period of growth and change.
The School Board appointed Burkhart in January, and he officially began the role on April 1. Burkhart said his first impressions of Spring-Ford matched everything that he had heard about the district while he was in the process of gaining his new position.
“I would say it’s probably exactly what I expected it to be,” Burkhart said. “Very welcoming, a lot of pride, students are very dedicated … really just a family.”
Before joining Spring-Ford, Burkhart said that he consistently heard positive things about the district from educators and administrators across the state.
“Whenever you ask a question about Spring-Ford, it was always the same: ‘That’s a great place to be,’” he said. “It’s a great district, great kids, great community.”
Burkhart takes over as superintendent as the district begins work on its recently approved Capital Plan, which includes renovations and upgrades across multiple schools as well as the future implementation of full-day kindergarten.
He said the opportunity to help lead those projects was part of what excited him most about coming to the district.
“The board has embarked on a very forward-thinking plan,” Burkhart said. “It is very ambitious, and beginning full-day kindergarten and working in a lot, if not all, of the schools, I think it’s exciting.”
Among the initiatives, Burkhart said he is especially excited about expanding kindergarten opportunities to younger students.
“I believe (preparing students for the future) begins in kindergarten,” he said. “The fact that we’re going to go to full-day kindergarten is very exciting.”
Burkhart also emphasized the importance of preparing students for a rapidly changing world, particularly with advancements in technology and artificial intelligence.
“We’re facing changes in education like we’ve never seen before,” he said. “How are we getting students ready for that? I think that’s my goal — to continue to get better and make sure our students are prepared to go into a world that could be very different from the time they start school until the time they end.”
Since arriving at Spring-Ford, Burkhart has attended numerous student events, including unified track meets, flag football games, baseball games, and softball games.
“Those are the types of things that I’m really looking forward to,” Burkhart said. “To let kids know that we’re here to support them and cheer them on.”
Burkhart also praised Spring-Ford’s award-winning broadcasting program after having the opportunity to film an episode of the district’s podcast, The RAMcast, in our studio.
“I’ve never in my career seen anything like this,” he said. “The forward thinking, getting kids ready, contributing the resources, making sure the kids have what they need — I think that encapsulates everything about the district right in this room.”
As Burkhart begins his time at Spring-Ford, he hopes students, staff and community members continue introducing themselves and sharing what makes the district special to them.
“I know why I think Spring-Ford is so great,” he said, “but I’d love to hear from others why they think it’s so great.”
