David Zupsic

SAXONBURG — Dr. David Zupsic resigned as South Butler School District superintendent, according to a district news release.

Zupsic's resignation was accepted by the school district Wednesday at a special meeting. He resigned to take a position as the coordinator of curriculum, instruction and assessment at the Midwestern Intermediate Unit 4 in Grove City.

“I want to thank the board for the privilege of serving the South Butler County School District over the past three years,” Zupsic said in the news release. “I also want to thank the teachers, staff, and administrators for the honor of working with such a great group of people.”

Dr. Frank Prazenica was approved by the school board to serve as acting superintendent while the district searches for a new superintendent. Prazenica was superintendent of West Mifflin Schools for five years and was superintendent for South Butler from 2007 to 2010.

In 2016, he was acting superintendent for Leechburg School District. He currently serves on the board for the Freeport School District.

The South Butler School District has been involved in a contentious contract dispute with its teachers; salary and health care benefits have kept the two sides deadlocked for three years.

Zupsic didn't mention the contract dispute in the news release announcing his resignation, but he noted that he, along with the people he thanked, accomplished “great things” during his tenure.

He said that they developed a “five-year comprehensive plan,” as well as “established a solid technological infrastructure that will support new instructional technologies.”

Zupsic further stated that during his tenure more advanced courses as well as remediation opportunities for students were created. He also noted that the school district has introduced “aspects of social and emotional learning that is so desperately needed in current educational systems.”

Nelda Burd commented on Zupsic's departure in the news release.

“On behalf of the South Butler school board, we have sincerely appreciated Dr. Zupsic's leadership and contributions as superintendent and we wish him and his family all the best in their future endeavors,” she said.

Zupsic said his move to step down as superintendent was a “personal decision.”

“The superintendent takes a lot of time, and I just decided that I need to take more time with my family,” he said.

In another announcement Thursday, school board member Jim Jones also resigned for personal reasons. Jones was on the board for 22 years.

His final term was to end in December, and he did not seek re-election in May's primary. The board approved his resignation and approved the nomination of Becky Boyd to serve out the term.

Boyd was selected because she received the most votes of all school director candidates in May's election.