Board hires schools chief in Jamestown

JAMESTOWN, Pa. -- The Jamestown Area School District will have a new superintendent when school resumes in September.
The school board voted Monday to hire Dr. Douglas Allen of Erie for the job, giving him a five-year contract.
Contract details, including Allen's salary, have yet to be finalized, said David Shaffer, outgoing superintendent.
Shaffer had announced his plans to retire at the end of the school year months ago, giving the school board time to search for a successor.
The board used the services of Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV, a quasi-state agency that provides educational and other services to public schools in Mercer, Butler and Lawrence counties, to help organize its search.
The list of applicants was narrowed down to eight people who were interviewed by the board.
Allen, who will officially begin his duties around Aug. 10, is leaving a post as a principal in the Erie city school system.
He previously served as superintendent of the Fairview School District in Erie County.
Shaffer said he will finish his duties with the district next week, but he will be involved in handling some transitional issues until the time Allen officially takes over as superintendent.