Dan Gilroy takes helm as Riverside School District superintendent

The Riverside School District will begin a new school year with a new superintendent at its helm.

Dan Gilroy was named superintendent earlier this year and started in his new position earlier this month, earning a salary of $150,000. The Archbald native, 49, comes to the district after leading the Forest City Regional School District as superintendent for three years and is no stranger to Riverside, having served as vice principal at Riverside Junior-Senior High School from 2009 to 2011.

While he never envisioned returning, Gilroy said he is excited to do so as the district’s leader — noting there are still people employed in the district that he remembers, as well as former students who are now coaches.

“I loved my time when I was first here,” he said.

A graduate of Bishop O’Hara High School, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in political science with a secondary social studies certification from Wilkes University, a Master of Education from the University of Scranton and a Doctorate of Education from Delaware Valley University.

He began his career teaching social studies at St. Michael’s School for Boys and Valley View High School. Gilroy also coached baseball, football and girls basketball at Valley View, and held administrative positions in the Scranton School District for 13 years.

Gilroy takes the reins of the district from Paul Brennan, who held the position from 2013 until earlier this year. Brennan is still working in the district as chief adviser for district excellence and engagement, a position to which board members named him earlier this year.

Gilroy, who worked with Brennan in the district, said he’s happy Brennan is still with Riverside.

“We got a good connection back then and we stayed connected all the way through (my career), even when I got the job in Forest City,” he said.

Brennan praised Gilroy as the new superintendent Wednesday.

“I’ve known Dan for many years, both personally and professionally, and I’ve had the opportunity to see firsthand the impact of his leadership as a superintendent,” he said in a text message. “He is an experienced and dedicated leader who puts kids first and I am confident that Riverside is in very good hands.”

As superintendent, Gilroy wants to continue some of Brennan’s initiatives, including sharing district news on social media, while moving the district forward, which includes helping students achieve academically, on the sports fields and in the arts. He also looks forward to working with a new administrative team at the high school — Principal Mina Ardestani and Vice Principal Toni Oustrich — district teachers and families.

Gilroy said he also hopes to be fiscally responsible to taxpayers while providing the best education to children in Taylor and Moosic and to be a visible presence in the community. That includes dealing with the issue of charter school tuition, which the district must pay for each child who enrolls in one.

While he believes parents should have a choice with their child’s education, he said it has been shown that students in public school achieve better on standardized tests than those at charter schools. Gilroy hopes to incentivize students to stay in the district with a new platform for the district’s virtual academy.

Gilroy comes to the district during a time of change in the scholastic athletic landscape. The state House of Representatives approved a bill in the spring that allows the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association to conduct separate playoffs for private and public schools. The bill has been touted by small districts like Riverside and neighboring Old Forge, which feel private schools of similar size have an unfair advantage because they can bring in players from across the state, outside of the state and even outside the country.

Gilroy and Old Forge Superintendent Christopher Gatto, along with four other superintendents, met with senators looking to push the legislation in the state Senate in Harrisburg last week and plans to continue to advocate for smaller schools like Riverside and Old Forge. He said he wants private schools to be able to participate in sports alongside public schools but wants the postseason playoffs to be separate.

“We’re not trying to take away their opportunities, we just want a fair playing field come the postseason,” Gilroy said.

Last month, the Riverside Junior Vikings Football & Cheerleading organization canceled the 2026 season due to a lack of participation and registrations. Gilroy said the school board, district officials and the head football coach, Jimmy Tucker, are aware of the cancellation and plan to discuss it, adding children should have opportunities to participate in sports.

Gilroy said while it was hard leaving Forest City Regional, he is looking forward to the opportunity to lead Riverside.

“I loved my time at Forest City — the people of Forest City were outstanding — but Riverside provided an opportunity for me to grow professionally and it was an opportunity to come back to someplace I was before,” he said. “I really enjoyed my time here.”