LEWISBURG —  Mark Temple, a social studies teacher with the Lewisburg Area School District, was hired as the district’s new athletic director (AD).
Superintendent Dr. Mark DiRocco said Temple is a graduate of Lewisburg Area High School and has been a social studies teacher in the district for three years.
The AD position was vacated after the school board passed a policy change barring coaches from also serving as athletic director. Then AD and boys basketball coach John Vaji was forced to choose the role he cherished most. Vaji decided to coach hoops.
The amendment caused a stir among a group of parents and Vaji’s wife, Linda, who came out to express their support for John Vaji at the last school board meeting. The crowd asked the board to reconsider its decision, but the board made no such move.
Vaji — also a physical education teacher in the district — subsequently chose to leave his position as AD and coach basketball, which his wife said their son, a player, had requested.
Temple taught for 13 years at Garden Spot High School in New Holland and also taught briefly at Mifflinburg before coming to Lewisburg.
DiRocco said Temple has a good background in athletics, having coached softball, track and field and junior high wrestling.
DiRocco said Temple is currently working to complete a degree in administration from Bloomsburg University.