Feb 3, 2016 4 min read

ROGERSVILLE – Thelma Szarell has seen many changes in West Greene School District during the more than four decades she worked as an educator, including the last 12 years as superintendent.

The biggest difference is the consolidation in recent years of three community grade schools as enrollment has been cut in half, prompting the opening of a new elementary school designed to give all students an equal education while saving taxpayers money.

“That took years of planning and preparation,” Szarell said of the opening of the new elementary center last August. “It’s better for everyone in the long run.”

With that monumental change now in her rearview mirror, Szarell is retiring at the end of the school year after spending 41 years in numerous roles in the school district and serving as the superintendent since 2004.

In her resignation letter submitted to West Greene School Board in October, she thanked the district “for all the good and wonderful thoughts that flood my mind” while preparing to retire June 30. The school district is currently searching for her replacement.

“I’ve had every job there is,” she said.

Szarell began her career in the district as an elementary school teacher and reading specialist. She was the head teacher at both the Graysville and Aleppo elementary schools before eventually moving on to teach reading at the middle-senior high school.

In 1996 ¬- halfway through her career – she was promoted to middle school principal. Four years later, she was chosen to also work as the acting elementary school principal, a position she loved.

“Most people regarded it as a demotion, but it looked fine to me because I came from the elementary schools,” she said.

Two years later, she took the position as assistant superintendent before landing the top job on an interim basis in 2004. She was hired as the permanent superintendent a couple years later.

During her tenure, she laments about how enrollment numbers dropped nearly in half. When she began teaching, there were 600 students in system. Now, there is nearly half that number at the elementary center, although the consolidation gives equal learning resources to all students, she said. There have been other improvements, such as expanding to full-day kindergarten to give students an edge when entering grade school.

“That was a big change in everyone’s thinking with how we did things,” she said.

Szarell, who is a lifelong member in the district and lives in Morris Township, said some of her fondest memories go back to when she was attending elementary school at the former Nineveh Grade School. Her late mother, Lucille Bedilion, would cook lunch for the students each Friday. Szarell remembers taking orders from her classmates the day before and writing down how many sloppy joes, hot dogs and cupcakes each child wanted.

“You wouldn’t be allowed to do that today,” Szarell said of her mother making the lunch at home and bringing it in. “The children always looked forward to that because it was a real treat.”

Her late father, Donald Bedilion, drove a school bus, meaning Szarell was always the first one on and had to sit with the “unruly kids” while heading to class. Her father also drove a book mobile library to different schools in the district.

Looking back over her career, she didn’t hesitate for a moment when asked what she’ll miss most when she leaves the school district.

“The children,” she said.

Her role as superintendent has taken away some of those interpersonal connections she’s had over the years with students as more administrative duties have been placed on her schedule.

“I spend a lot of time on the computer now. I used to be able to spend more time in the schools,” she said. “That’s probably what I’ll miss. I put in long hours and I’ll probably miss being busy all of the time.”

Szarell doesn’t know what’s next for her, but she’s ready to start that phase while fondly looking back at her career in education.

“I loved the job,” Szarell said. “I’m wide open. But I’ll have to find something to occupy my time and mind.”