Fran Kompar, who has worked with the Wilton Public Schools since 2016, retired at the end of the 2023-24 school year.
As the Director of Digital Learning and Instructional Technologies, Kompar was instrumental in several major initiatives, including the evolution of the Portrait of the Graduate and the transition from school libraries to the Library Learning Commons. She was also key to the district’s approach to asynchronous learning during the COVID pandemic and led the collaboration with the Wilton Library on the schools’ participation in Wilton Reads.
On Tuesday, June 18, district Human Resources Director Maria Coleman announced that William (Bill) Antonitis has been hired to replace Kompar as the next director of digital learning and instructional technologies for the Wilton Public Schools.
According to a press release from Coleman, Antonitis was most recently the English/language arts department supervisor for Henry James Memorial School in Simsbury.
Prior to his time in Simsbury, Antonitis was an information technology manager and began his career in education as an English teacher at Conard High School in West Hartford. In addition to being a teacher and department supervisor, Antonitis has been the owner and lead content creator for a media company, where, for the past 13 years, he has provided digital content creation, marketing, and social media services for a variety of clients. He also creates and distributes online content through a number of platforms.
The release stated that throughout his career, “Antonitis has had numerous opportunities to develop, lead, and implement initiatives incorporating technologies that positively impact student learning.” He received career recognitions from the West Hartford Public Schools, was selected as Conard High School’s commencement speaker several times during his tenure there, and was recognized by the Ford Motor Corporation and Pierce Fire Apparatus for his work in IT and marketing.”
Antonitis received his Bachelor of Arts in English and music from Assumption College; his Master of Arts in English education from the University of Massachusetts; and his administrative certificate from Southern Connecticut State University.
Coleman said that Antonitis was selected from a competitive pool of applicants after participating in a “challenging, four-round interview process with broad-based school and central office-level committees. Mr. Antonitis impressed the committees with his passion, experience with technology, and ability to engage others in conversations about the possibilities that digital learning and instructional technologies hold in the field of education and in helping the district realize its Portrait of a Graduate for every learner. Mr. Antonitis was able to provide examples from his own experience of the power of digital tools in helping students deepen their understanding of concepts and apply that learning to authentic tasks. The district welcomes Mr. Antonitis and looks forward to his contributions.”
He will officially begin in his new role on July 1, 2024.