The Salem Board of Education announced Monday that Superintendent Sean Kirkland passed away Monday morning after “a year-long battle with cancer.” Kirkland has served as the superintendent of the district since Aug. 1, 2019. Shown is Kirkland speaking at the Aug. 20 groundbreaking ceremony for the district’s upcoming new K-8 school building. (File photo by Morgan Ahart)

SALEM — The Salem City School District is mourning the loss of one of its most dedicated representatives.

During its meeting Monday, the board of education remembered the life and legacy of Superintendent Sean Kirkland, who passed away Monday morning following a year-long battle with cancer.

Kirkland had served as the superintendent of the district since Aug. 1, 2019, when he succeeded Dr. Joe Shivers, who also recently passed away on March 10. Prior to being named superintendent, Kirkland served as Salem High School principal for five years, and as junior high principal for eight. In total Kirkland dutifully served the Salem City School District as teacher, coach, principal, and ultimately superintendent for more than 30 years.

“Even in his final days, Sean was still thinking about the future of our district. We were recently talking about the incredible progress being made on the new K-8 campus and how quickly it is coming together. We talked about the day when students would walk through those doors for the very first time, and what that moment would mean for generations of Salem families,” said Board President Brittany Maniscalco.

In a statement read by Maniscalco, the board described Kirkland as “not only the leader of our school district,” but a beloved mentor, friend, coach “and one of the most passionate champions this community has ever known.” They also said that Kirkland’s impact on the district transcends “the positions he held” and “the years he served,” and that his real legacy “lives in the students he encouraged, educators he supported, the leaders he helped shape, and the pride he instilled in our community.”

“I truly do not know anyone who cared more about Salem City Schools and the power of public education than Sean Kirkland. He led with dignity, strength, and resilience through many triumphant moments as well as through some very challenging times. He faced obstacles the way he faced everything else — with determination, perspective, and an unwavering belief that this community could accomplish great things when we worked together,” said Maniscalco.

The board also remembered Shivers, who was among “Kirkland’s closest friends and mentors” and “helped shape the leadership and vision that [Kirkland] would later carry forward.” They said that both Shivers and Kirkland led the district “with integrity, compassion, and an unwavering love for the Salem Quakers,” and that their impact “will be felt for generations of students, teachers, and families who were fortunate to benefit from their leadership.”

“While we grieve their passing, we are also deeply grateful for the foundation they built and the examples they set for all of us who continue the work of serving Salem’s schools. For those of us who were fortunate enough to know both Sean and Joe, we will always carry their example with us. Their belief in people, love for Salem, and firm commitment to doing what was right for our schools,” said Maniscalco.

Maniscalco said that she first met Kirkland when he was the principal of the junior high school and she was still a student, and that Kirkland “would go on to become one of the most important mentors in [her] life.” Maniscalco credited her decision to serve on the board of education to Kirkland, who she said suggested she run while she was attending Kent State University based on a conversation they’d had when she was still a student in Salem.

“One day Sean called me with a question that would change my life. He asked if I had ever considered running for the Salem board of education. Years earlier I had told him that someday I hoped to become more involved in the Salem community and whatever my job was, I wanted to make Salem better,” said Maniscalco. “In true Sean fashion, he remembered that conversation and told me that serving on the school board could be a great steppingstone toward that goal. At the time I never imagined that phone call would actually turn into reality. But it did, and I will always be grateful to Sean for the encouragement, guidance, and confidence he placed in me. That was who Sean was. He saw potential in people, he lifted them up, and he pushed the, to serve this community in meaningful ways.”

Board Member Gregg Warner also credited Kirkland and Shivers with inspiring him to pursue election to the board in 2023, despite his initial reluctance.

“As we got closer to the filing deadline with the board of elections, they both asked me if I’d gotten my filing paperwork, and I thought, they’re serious about this. So, I went down and did it, and it was the best decision I ever made. This is an experience I would never have passed on,” he said.

Warner and Treasurer Mike Douglas also credited Kirkland as a major mentor in their lives. Douglas said that like Maniscalco, Kirkland had been his teacher when he was a student, and Warner said that while coaching baseball with Kirkland he consistently learned from him about leadership and education, and as their relationship grew, they often exchanged parental advice.

“Sean has been a mentor all my life. He was my high school teacher. He was my high school baseball coach, high school football coach, but more importantly he became one of my best friends,” said Douglas.

“He’s a true friend, a mentor; no matter how busy he was, he always found time to sit with you or he would call you back. You learned a lot from him, he was very encouraging, I feel privileged to have been able to work under him just for the two years I’ve been on the board,” said Warner.

Warner, Douglas and Maniscalco all agreed that the ongoing $57 million K-8 school building project was Kirkland’s “pride and joy.” Warner said that Kirkland would visit the construction site for updates on the project nearly every day, while Douglas said that he was “over the moon” with joy the community had placed its faith in the district to build a better future for its children.

“Our mission now is to finish something he created with the new school. It meant everything to him to get this approved by the community for the kids, for the staff, and it’s heartbreaking that he won’t be there to see it completed,” said Douglas. “But I know on the day that we cut the ribbon to walk inside for the first time him and Dr. Shivers will both be there looking down on us smiling and thankful for what we accomplished together.”

Kirland’s work ethic and passion were well known even beyond the bounds of the Salem City School District.

Columbiana City School District Superintendent Don Mook said that as a fellow superintendent he collaborated with Kirkland regularly and described him as “as a guy willing to share his knowledge for the betterment and safety of everyone around him, and willing to work with other districts for the benefits of all students.”

He said Kirkland was a consistent and vocal contributor at monthly superintendents’ meetings and that he was always “willing to go out on a limb to ensure the best for Salem’s schools and Salem’s students.”

“Sean was devoted to education, to the youth, the Salem community, and Salem’s schools. He was an advocate for the education process, and public education at large. He lived his life for Salem City Schools. He bled red and black; I cannot say that enough. It was my pleasure to have known and worked with him,” said Mook.

Mook also emphasized that in addition to his dedication to Salem, Kirkland was a powerful collaborator in navigating the challenges faced by all public school districts, like changes in state legislation and funding. Mook said Kirkland also worked with other superintendents as public schools throughout Ohio navigated frequent changes to continue serving students during the Covid-19 pandemic and was “a leader among leaders” during that unprecedented time.

“Sean was one of those guys that would jump in your shoes in a second and help you navigate. Sean contributed wherever he was and you learned something every time you talked to him,” said Mook.

Every member of the board, and those in attendance to show their support Monday, agreed emphatically that Kirkland bled red and black and has left a legacy not soon to be forgotten.