Sharpsville Area School District has a new assistant superintendent. And if he looks a bit familiar, there's good reason.

By an 8-1 vote at a special meeting Monday, school directors hired Dr. Douglas R. Hazlett, effective Monday, at a salary of $84,785, pro-rated for the 2003-04 fiscal year.

Hazlett held the same position before he left the district in early April to accept a position as supervisor of secondary curriculum and instruction at Baldwin-Whitehall School District near Pittsburgh.

"My family is from the valley and I'm from the valley, and to have the opportunity to return to the district I feel very grateful to the board and the community" Hazlett said. "I think the 12 years I've spent here I made a difference and impacted kids, and I'm looking forward to continuing that. And I appreciate the opportunity the board gave me."

Approving the hiring, or re-hiring, were: President Terry Karsonovich, Susan Pokorney, Charles Rice, Joyce Grandy, David DeForest, Chris Ruffo, Lori Gill and Kimberly Barringer. Donna Murray voted no.

"I think the vote comes down to the board doing what's best for the district," said Karsonovich. "You can't question his credentials. Around the county, all the talks I've had with other people in other districts, he's always been well-respected and well thought of."

Rice and Mrs. Murray cited concerns about changes to the recently approved budget, but Karsonovich assured them there would be no increase in the overall $11.5 million budget for this fiscal year. Directors had originally budgeted $65,000 for the position of director of curriculum.

Rice noted the problems directors went through at budget time in which they ended up raising taxes 6 mills -- 11 percent, or 18 mills under the old formula -- for this fiscal year, although he qualified his concerns about the budget by quickly adding that bringing Hazlett back was "an opportunity we can't afford to pass up" based on his qualifications and credentials.

Mrs. Murray was equally generous when it came to Hazlett's credentials, but said she has consistently been opposed to the curriculum director's position.

"I don't feel our district can afford that luxury," she said. "... We don't have the resources anymore."

"There are some budget concerns -- we had some money set aside for a different position -- but the opportunity to get him back I think is the best thing for our district," Karsonovich said. "We'll find the money to cover his salary that really wasn't initially budgeted."

That money, he added, will "be absorbed through some other things that are going on in the district."

During his dozen years at Sharpsville, Hazlett also served as middle school principal and director of curriculum and instruction. He submitted his resignation as assistant superintendent in early February and began working at Baldwin-Whitehall on April 7.

Although his hiring is effective Monday, Baldwin-Whitehall has the option of keeping him on staff up to 60 days, said Sharpsville Superintendent Dr. Derry L. Stufft, who also expressed his pleasure in the return of Hazlett.

"I didn't anticipate this happening, but I'm glad Doug's coming back," Stufft said. "We worked well together as a team. ... I'm real pleased to have him back here."