During its meeting Monday, the board of education remembered the life and legacy of Superintendent Sean Kirkland, who died 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 died March 10. Before being named superintendent, Kirkland served as Salem High School principal for five years and as junior high principal for eight. In total, Kirkland 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 also 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,” Maniscalco said.

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,” Maniscalco said.

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,” Maniscalco said. “In true Sean fashion, he remembered that conversation and told me that serving on the school board could be a great stepping stone 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 them 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.

“He’s a true friend, a mentor; no matter how busy he was … I feel privileged to have been able to work under him just for the two years I’ve been on the board,” Warner said.

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