Michelle Dutrow, who has been serving as interim superintendent of the Mount Union Area School District, reflects on her time in the role.
By DELANEY RONK | Journalism Student, Mount Union Area Senior High School
Mount Union, Pa. — Mrs. Michelle Dutrow, who has been serving as the interim superintendent for the Mount Union Area School District, will transition out of her role following the hiring of a permanent superintendent. She began at Mount Union Area School District during the 2024–2025 school year as an educational consultant. She then transitioned into the position of interim superintendent following the retirement of MUASD’s former superintendent. The interim superintendent role serves to bridge the gap between the outgoing and new superintendents.
Before coming to Mount Union, Mrs. Dutrow spent 35 years working in public education. During that time, she worked as a special education teacher, director of special education, elementary principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent. She served as the superintendent for West Branch Area School District for 10 years in her final position. She stated, “Upon my retirement from public education, I started providing consulting services to school districts, ranging from mentoring, improvement efforts, and interim positions.” This is what led her to MUASD.
Although the interim superintendent role is temporary, Mrs. Dutrow has been involved in a variety of initiatives during her time in the district. One of the main priorities has been financial planning and stability. She explained, “My main focus during my tenure as the interim superintendent has been to address the district’s faltering finances and develop a long-term plan that will allow the district to recapture fiscal stability.”
In addition to financial planning, Mrs. Dutrow has focused on addressing other areas that required significant attention during her time in the role. She said her extended time in the position allowed the district to work through several changes. She noted, “My extended stay as the interim superintendent has allowed for an extended period of positive growth and change. The Board of Directors has been wise to allow this change cycle to be given the time necessary to yield positive results.”
Mrs. Dutrow also reflected on her experience in the position. When asked what has been the most rewarding part of the job so far, she said, “This opportunity has provided me with the chance to interact with some terrific students and staff, the piece I have missed the most since retiring.”
She also shared what surprised her most, saying, “Having been in the business of public education for the past 35 years, I can’t say anything has surprised me, but rather it has reminded me how very important the work of this profession is for the future of our young people.” Her response emphasized the lasting importance of the work done in public education.
As her time at MUASD comes to a close, Mrs. Dutrow shared her thoughts on her time with the district, saying, “I greatly appreciated the opportunity to assist Mount Union to regroup and restore its foundation and look forward to hearing about the district’s continued successes under its new leader.”
This article was published as part of Ms. Dimoff’s Journalism class at Mount Union Area Senior High School.
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