Plum hires Norwin board president as assistant superintendent

The president of the Norwin School Board has been hired as the assistant superintendent at Plum School District. 

Matthew P. Thomas of North Huntingdon, who has been the student services director for the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit 7 since June 2018, was hired Oct. 8 by the Plum School Board at a salary of $145,000. His contract will run through the 2027-2028 school year.

Thomas said after the Norwin School Board meeting Monday that he plans to continue serving on the board, but that will depend upon new job.

At Plum, Thomas said his focus will be wide-ranging and include curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development, special education and human resources said.

Thomas was a curriculum specialist at the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit from March 2016 to June 2018. He was a high school principal at Ferndale Area School District near Johnstown from July 2014 to March 2016. He also was a director of professional development and assessment coordinator for the Westmont Hilltop School District near Johnstown from August 2013 to July 2014.

Thomas was appointed to the school board by the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas judges in October 2023 after the eight members of the divided Norwin board were unable to agree upon a replacement for the late Joanna Jordan, who died in August 2023. Thomas won a four-year term on the school board in the November 2023 election and was voted president of the board during a reorganization meeting in December 2023.

The Norwin board has had employees of other school district serve on the board. Former director Patrick Lynn, a teacher at the Woodland Hills School District, served on the board a few years ago.