Former Bensalem Schools Chief Gets New Job At Old Stomping Ground

Victoria Gehrt, a former superintendent of , has been chosen as superintendent of the New Castle County Vocational Technical School District in Delaware.

Dr. Gehrt, who was superintendent here for five years in the early 2000s, is returning to a district for which she worked from 1978 to 2000 in a variety of positions including assistant superintendent. She has been the assistant superintendent of the Kennett Consolidated School District since 2006.

At NCC Vo-Tech, Gehrt will oversee an annual budget of $80.5 million to operate four high schools and a comprehensive Adult Education Division. The NCC Vo-Tech School District has a combined enrollment of 4,700 students in grades nine through twelve, and serves more than 5,000 day and evening students in adult and alternative programs. The district has more than 600 full-time employees, and ranks 10th in total enrollment out of Delaware’s 19 public school districts.

Gehrt earned her doctorate in education from the University of Delaware in 1990, where she also received her bachelor's of science and master's of education degrees. The University of Delaware named her Outstanding Education Alumni of the Year in 1995. She has been an adjunct professor in both the masters and doctoral programs at Wilmington College.

John F. Lynch Jr., school board president, said in a press release the board conducted a two-month search for a successor to Dr. Steven H. Godowsky, who retired in June after eight years as chief of the countywide school system.

“We screened and interviewed some extremely talented educational leaders and the board believes that Dr. Gehrt has the creativity, drive, and experience to lead the district on a path of progress and continuous improvement,” he said.

Dr. Gehrt said in the same release that she is “honored and humbled” to be chosen

“Having a high quality educational system with rigor and relevance for all students will help us meet and exceed the high expectations held by our students, parents, and the community,” she said.

Gehrt said among her career accomplishments, she is most proud of her ability to move school districts forward with improvements in student achievement and in closing achievement gaps. She has also been instrumental in facilitating and encouraging the use of technology as an integral instructional tool for all learners.

Gehrt formerly served as an assistant principal at the Howard Career Center (now Howard High School of Technology) for six years before being named the district’s director of instructional services in 1989. She was an assistant superintendent in the vo-tech district from 1998 to 2000, when she left to become interim superintendent of the Brandywine School District for one year. She was then named superintendent of Bensalem schools.