Dr. Lawrence Connelly has headed Mercer Area School District for a decade, but come July, he'll be calling a Lawrence County school district his home.

Connelly has been named as superintendent for Shenango Area School District, south of New Castle. School directors there unanimously hired him Monday night.

Connelly, 53, has been with Mercer for 17 years.

Connelly said he's excited about his new position, and he plans to work with people in the district to get goals accomplished.

"I'm starting to talk to people and get some ideas," he said Wednesday. "I'm going to work together with everyone down there to increase test scores on the Pennsylvania state aptitude test. All of us working together should be able to do that."

Connelly added that he's confident he will be able to handle challenges that the new position may bring because he brings more than 17 years of experience.

"I bring a lot of experience to the position," he said. "Among other things, I've been involved with renovations and contract negotiations, and even though I'm going to a new place with new people, I'll rely on my experience."

Connelly earned a master's degree in administration from the University of Pittsburgh and a doctorate from Youngstown State University.

Before coming to Mercer, he taught in the Deer Lakes School District in Allegheny County and was an administrator for Lampeter-Strasburg in Lancaster, Pa.

Connelly, who was given a four-year contract at Shenango, will earn $98,000 a year. He makes about $90,000 annually at Mercer.

Of his time in Mercer, Connelly said, "I've worked with a lot of people and we've got a lot done. Two of the biggest achievements are the renovation of the high school, which turned out very successfully, and the overall improvement of test scores."

Former Shenango Superintendent Dr. Patrick O'Toole resigned in December and is serving as superintendent in the South Butler County School District.

William Foster, 64, will continue to serve as interim superintendent until Connelly arrives in July.

Shenango School Board President Robert Davis said he believes Connelly is a good fit for the district.

"It was very noticeable at the end of the first interview sessions that he was a true candidate for this position," he said. Of the 20 applicants, eight candidates were interviewed.

The school board also created the position of assistant superintendent and named Dr. Daniel Bell to the post. Bell, 32, is the current junior high school principal.

The assistant superintendent position was created to handle the overflow of work that the superintendent receives, including President Bush's "Leave no child behind" program as well as special education initiatives, Davis said.

"In talking with Larry our philosophies matched right away," Bell said. "I'm anxious to get started."

Connelly and Bell will start their new jobs July 1, when they will also begin interviewing for a new junior high principal.

Connelly and his wife, Barbara, will move to Shenango as soon as they sell their house in Mercer. They have two sons who live out of state.