Dr. Wesley Shipley began his 35-year career in education as a fifth-grade teacher and worked his way up to superintendent of the Ellwood City Area School District.
Shipley will retire on June 30, 2025.
The Ellwood City Area School District’s Board of Directors reluctantly passed a motion to accept his retirement during the November 14 regular meeting.
Shipley said serving the district and students has been a pleasure. He said Ellwood stands out among his best years in education.
“This has been the most fulfilling position that I’ve ever had,” he said. “I’ll mostly miss the people. The entire community has been wonderful. The board has been very supportive and willing to take the necessary, sometimes bold steps in an effort to always improve. The administrators and teaching staff demonstrate a tremendous understanding of our students and their needs. They work hard to connect with others. The support staff is outstanding. They really give tremendous effort to help the entire district be the best it can be.”
He will always have fond memories of his time with the district and also of the community. But a few things stand out.
Dr. Wesley Shipley
“There are so many instances from day to day of collaboration,” he said. “The way the staff rallied together to get through COVID. The way everyone worked together each time we had to transition classrooms during our construction projects and always finished our work well ahead of construction timelines. The way the community supports our school activities and sports teams and, most of all, the passion this community has for its hometown.”
The ECASD Board of directors said that Shipley has had a significant impact on the district … a positive one.
Speaking on behalf of the Board, President Jennifer Tomon said, “We thank Dr. Shipley for his dedicated service to the District, wish him the best moving forward, and look forward to working with him for the rest of the school year. Dr. Shipley’s tenure in the district has been one of improvement. Improvement to all four school buildings, improvement to Helling Stadium, expansion of our ECASD Police Department and reconfiguring our administrative team to better reflect the 21st century needs of students and staff. From time to time, a critical eye is needed in order to precipitate change. Dr. Shipley gave us the opportunity to see our district from the outside, identify our challenges, and provide the district with the leadership we needed to address those challenges. “
Shipley will be missed by the Board of Directors but also the educators and administrators that he has been a leader to for the last four years.
“Dr. Shipley is leaving behind a legacy of excellence, connection, and progress. He has unwavering high standards and is an approachable leader,” said Frank Keally, Principal at Hartman Intermediate School and Perry Lower Intermediate School. “His ability to bring people together has been instrumental in enhancing our schools and supporting student success.”
Shipley has had a career full of experience at various school districts. Before starting with ECASD, he served as Mars Area School District superintendent from 2015 to 2020. He also served as superintendent at Shaler Area School District and two years as an assistant superintendent at Shaler Area School District. He is in his 14th year as a school superintendent. He also served as an elementary principal at Freeport and then promoted to Program Director (Assistant Superintendent). Before that he was Middle School Assistant Principal at Burrell. Shipley began his career teaching elementary students in Newport News Virginia, then Deer Lakes School District in Allegheny County.
His wide range of experience proved to be an asset to the administrators he mentored in the district.
“He has been great to work with, and I am always inspired by his calm demeanor and wisdom from over three decades as an educator,” said Michael Garvin, Lincoln High School principal grades 7-9. “During the years that Dr. Shipley has been in ECASD, I personally made the transition from History teacher to Junior High Principal. Dr. Shipley has been a great mentor as I made this transition. I am truly blessed to have worked under him through these changes. He has always been available to support me in any way I ask. He will be missed after his retirement.”
As he reflected on his accomplishments in the district, navigating COVID, leveraging technology both for the educators and the students, and curriculum are a few of his proudest. He is also proud of the dedication to academic improvement and the focus on mental health in the effort to hire three math support teachers, a behavioral specialist, and a mental health specialist.
Shipley also takes pride in the districts renewed commitment to school safety and the growth of the school police department under his tenure.
“I’m proud of the learning environment/building culture in the district – we really do take a student-first approach,” he said.
And finally, he is proud of the facility upgrades completed and planned for the future including Helling Stadium, Perry Lower Intermediate, Lincoln Jr/Sr. High School, upgrades to Hartman and North Side HVAC and electrical systems and the possibility of a new softball field that feels the students deserve.
Shipley said despite all of his accomplishments, the best part of being an educator is being able to make an impact on young lives while mentoring other educators.
“I’m in my 35th year as an educator and the fact that I have had some small part in the lives of thousands of students makes me quite proud,” he said. “I’ve been lucky enough to visit with former students and staff and I’m always happy to learn about their lives. I just hope that my work helped to improve education for everyone. I hope that teachers, administrators and staff had an improved climate and culture. I hope that students had success in their schooling and their life.”
One thing is for sure, the administrators that have served under Shipley believe he is a strong leader. Lincoln High School Principal grades 10-12, John Sovich, said he believes it’s important to acknowledge Dr. Shipley’s exceptional leadership in the district.
“His ability to establish a strong working relationship with the school board has been invaluable,” Sovich said. “Dr. Shipley is deeply in tune with student needs, consistently using the feedback he receives to guide his decisions. This responsiveness is a testament to his commitment to our students. Dealing with Covid was difficult for many school districts including Ellwood, and he did a great job making sure students and staff stayed safe. Times like those show the true character of people in leadership positions.
Moreover, Doc is highly respected among the entire administrative team, and we have learned a great deal from him. His leadership serves as a clear sign of what makes an awesome school leader.”
Principal at Northside Primary School, Dan Parson echoed the sentiments of Sovich. His first memory of Dr. Shipley was a phone call that he received while hiking a walking trail in Ohiopyle State Park with Shipley on the other end asking him if he was interested in being a principal.
“I eagerly accepted the offer, but little did I know how much of a positive impact the voice on the other end of the phone would have on my administrative career over the next 5 years. Dr. Shipley has been an outstanding leader for me to follow,” Parson said. “He has always guided me in a very calm and motivating manner. Additionally, he always encouraged me to act on ideas and think outside the box as a principal if those ideas and thoughts answered one question: ‘Will this be the best for the kids.’ His leadership style consistently promoted and reinforced our top quality of the Ellwood City School District and the way that we prioritize making valuable and memorable connections with our students, families, and school community. I am forever grateful to have begun my administrative career under the leadership of Dr. Wes Shipley. His impact on my career has shaped me to be the principal and leader that I am today.”
As Shipley makes his plans to settle into retirement alongside his wife, camping, spending time with his children and grandchildren, and playing a little more golf, the board faces a big decision.
With the assistance of Dr. Shipley, the Board will now begin the process of searching for a new superintendent. The goal is to have the new superintendent identified before the end of the school year and ready to lead the District when the 2025-26 school year begins in the fall,” said Board President Tomon. “Selecting a superintendent is a decision of enormous significance to our community, our staff, and most importantly, our students. We take this responsibility very seriously and are confident that we will identify and hire a great leader for the Ellwood City Area School District.”
Shipley’s parting words for the students and educators he spent decades serving is simple.
“Always be true to yourself, avoid drama, serve others, and find the good in everything.”
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