Skip To Main Content

Schools Panel

Sidebar Container

Sticky call to action buttons

Superintendent

Dr. Robert O'Donnell

Dr. Robert O'Donnell (Bob) joined Downingtown Area School District (DASD) as its superintendent of schools in July of 2022.

Before coming to DASD, he served as superintendent of the State College Area School District from 2011 to 2022, where he led an educational community consisting of nearly 7,000 students, 11 schools and the Delta Program option for middle and high school levels.  

With a strong belief in the power of teamwork, Bob values building a culture of collaboration to meet the varied needs of students through advancements in curriculum, pedagogy, student services and facilities.

Bob began his career in public education as a high school mathematics and computer science teacher in Lititz, PA. He then served as assistant principal in the Hempfield School District, a high school principal in Manheim Township, assistant superintendent in the Hempfield School District, and, finally, State College as the Superintendent.

As a champion for charter school legislation reform, Bob initiated a 2021 movement among 11 school districts in three central Pennsylvania counties, creating a joint resolution calling for charter school reform legislation. As part of this effort, he participated in a joint press conference with the state governor requesting bipartisan reform. At present, he serves on the board of Leaders for Educational Accountability and Reform Network (LEARN), a statewide coalition of school superintendents working to secure improvements in both financial and academic accountability in Pennsylvania’s charter school sector. Since 2021, Bob has served as an advisory board member on the Keystone Center for Charter Change. 

Bob and his wife Lori enjoy spending time with their three children. He earned his degrees from Lehigh University (Ed.D. & M.Ed. in Educational Leadership) and Shippensburg University (B.S. in Secondary Education & B.A. in Mathematics).