Principal John Ponton and Director of Student Services Steven Sengstack both announced their retirement after students and faculty returned from winter break. Though it is not yet half way through the year, early announcements such as these are commonplace so that the school can have adequate time to hire and train replacements. Ponton has been at AHS for six years and Sengstack has been here for 17 years.

“[Ponton] has given a sense of purpose and organization to this school, without which AHS would not be the excellent place it has become,” social studies teacher John Hawes said. “Mr. Sengstack has enormous wisdom, sensitivity and the ability to solve even the most complex problems.”
Since both announcements are fairly recent, the process of interviewing and hiring the replacements is still in its earliest stage.

The next principal will most likely be hired by May 1 after the long process involving input from faculty, parents and selected students. Dan Parris, Superintendent of Cluster 3, will be in charge of hiring Ponton’s replacement. “He wants the new principal to be announced by May 1 because he wants me to work with whomever is selected,” Ponton said.

The process is still being hammered out by Parris and will hit the ground running sometime in the beginning of the second semester. Generally, the process involves meetings with the faculty, students and community and interviews with an official selection committee.

As for Sengstack’s position, the next director of student services will most likely be hired sometime in June. “Once the principal is hired, then the principal will be the one to head up the committee to find the next director of student services,” said Sengstack.

Traditionally, the Principal will select the top two candidates and will turn them over to Parris, who will make the final decision. There is also the possibility of hiring an experienced temporary director to hold the job for a few months. It is also possible that the next principal will bring a candidate with them from their former job.
In the coming months, more details about the process of finding Ponton and Sengstack’s replacements will emerge from the AHS administration.

For students and teachers, the news of their school leaders’ upcoming retirement has brought many different emotions. There are some who feel sad about the loss of leadership, while others feel honored to have had them at all.

“Mr. Ponton is just a positive force at this school. He really sets a positive tone. He’s actively interested in teachers and he goes out of his way to get them what they need,” English teacher Samantha Spinney said, who was a student of Mr. Ponton’s at Stuart HS.

The discussion of Ponton’s accomplishments, including the raising of test scores and the lowering the violence are common discussion topics around the AHS community. “I think he was a good principal for getting rid of the gang violence,” junior Ryan Beamer said.

Both men have been recognized for their unwavering and firm leadership in the many difficult situations that have arisen over the years. “[Sengstack] is an incredible guidance director. He makes something so difficult seem so easy,” social studies teacher Jonathan York said. “I have been so fortunate to work these guys.”

Keep reading the A-Blast to see future stories about Ponton and Sengstack’s careers and the developments in finding their replacement.