SALEM — The Salem school board named Curriculum Director Jamie Kemats as interim superintendent during a special meeting Wednesday, to continue the legacy left behind by Superintendent Sean Kirkland, who passed away Monday.

“Over the next few months while Jamie is serving as superintendent, we’ll have discussions on moving forward to fill the vacancy permanently,” Board President Brittany Maniscalco said.

The board entered into executive session for nearly 40 minutes before emerging to name the interim superintendent. The meeting took place at the administration building, where Kemats’ office shared a wall with Kirkland’s, with a door in between them that was rarely shut.

Kemats, who’s in her 16th year with Salem City Schools, said she was honored to accept the role of interim superintendent during this time of profound loss, adding that she does so “with a deep sense of responsibility and commitment to our students, staff and the entire Salem community.”

Just last week, the district mourned the death of former superintendent Dr. Joe Shivers, then came the news about Kirkland. Kemats worked closely with both of them and worked with Kirkland as a member of the core team for the new K-8 building project.

“I was fortunate to build a relationship with Sean defined by trust, respect, and a shared passion for serving our students and community. His leadership, compassion, and unwavering dedication to education have left a lasting impact on our district, and his legacy will continue to guide our work,” she said.

“My focus will be to provide stability, support our school community, and ensure that our students continue to receive a high-quality education,” she said. “We ask that you keep Sean’s family, friends, and all those impacted by his loss in your thoughts during this difficult time.”

Kemats will perform double duties as both curriculum director and interim superintendent, with the board approving a supplemental contract for $50 per day, on top of the salary she already receives as curriculum director.

During the special meeting, the board also announced that the April board meeting will be moved to Wednesday, April 22.

After Kemats made her remarks, Maniscalco commented to Kemats that obviously, they know it wasn’t supposed to be this way, but “we have faith you will lead in Sean’s honor and do what’s best for Salem City Schools. Thank you for taking on this role and accepting this challenge, Sean would probably say.”

An Ursuline High School graduate, Kemats earned her bachelor’s degree in education at Youngstown State University and her master’s degree at Westminster. She said she’s had her superintendent’s license for four years. She started as a special education teacher at Mineral Ridge Middle School, then served as a K-8 counselor at Leetonia schools and worked in special education for a year at Columbiana schools.

She came to Salem City Schools as a high school counselor, serving from 2010 to 2016, then was asked by Shivers to serve as curriculum director. When Kirkland became superintendent, they bounced a lot of ideas against each other and they worked closely on the new school project.

Kemats’ family includes her husband, Dan, the principal of McKinley School in Lisbon, their son Jackson, who teaches in the Lisbon schools, their son Maxwell, who’s majoring in economics and public health at the University of Cincinnati, and their daughter Emerson “Emmy,” a senior at Salem High School.

Kemats said she feels lucky to have worked with both Shivers and Kirkland while they were superintendent, saying “I’ve learned a lot from both of them.”

Kirkland started as a substitute teacher and then as the shop teacher at the Leetonia school district for a year before joining the Salem City Schools in 1994 as the Industrial Tech Teacher. He became the junior high principal in 2006, then high school principal in 2014, being name superintendent in 2019 after Shivers retired.

A service for Kirkland will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Salem High School Auditorium, with all those who attend asked to honor Sean by wearing red and black.

“Sean is irreplaceable and no one bled red and black like Sean. For that, the board will always be thankful we had his leadership. We trust that Jamie will carry on his legacy,” Maniscalco said.