Two weeks after voting down an agreement with an outside organization to provide an interim superintendent, Palmerton Area School District is turning to one of its own.

Palmerton’s school board on Tuesday night unanimously approved an agreement with its current business manager, Ryan Kish, to step into the role effective July 6.

“I want to thank the board for allowing me to serve in this position while we look for a permanent replacement,” Kish said. “I would not have agreed to it without knowing how great of a staff we have and how supportive they have always been. It doesn’t get said enough how great our employees are. The next superintendent will be very lucky to lead our amazing district. I hope to make the transition as smooth as possible.”

Kish, who is in his second stint as business manager with Palmerton, will make an additional $130 per day on top of his regular salary. His duties, per the agreement approved Tuesday, will include “advising the board on personnel matters, administering district affairs, attending all board meetings and serving as an adviser on all district matters.”

Palmerton initially hired Kish as its business manager in 2016. He left in 2021 to take the same position in Northwestern Lehigh School District. In June 2022, Palmerton hired him again at a salary of $128,000 for the 2022-23 school year.

Earlier this month, Palmerton voted 5-4 to reject an agreement with School Operation Services Group Inc. to provide an interim superintendent to the district.

The person who would be filling the role, district officials said, would be paid $130 per hour but would not hold a superintendent’s certificate, meaning certain paperwork could not be signed.

Kish, meanwhile, does have his certificate.

“Hiring inside the district was the right choice,” director Earl Paules said. “It saves us money doing it this way. We would have paid the same amount per hour with someone else as we are paying Ryan per day. That’s a big deal. And he’s one of our own.”

The agreement stipulates that Kish will perform dual roles until a permanent superintendent is hired, with a term not to exceed one year.

Dr. Jodi Frankelli, Palmerton’s current superintendent, was hired in Allentown School District as its executive director of early learning at a salary of $142,500. July 5 will be her last day with Palmerton.