Aug 15, 2025 4 min read

Washington School District Superintendent George Lammay has retired, after 37 years in education. His last day was Aug. 14.

After a 37-year career in education – including three years leading the Washington School District – Superintendent George Lammay has retired.

He laughs when he says he means it this time.

In 2021, Lammay retired from Bentworth School District, where he had served as assistant superintendent.

But Lammay, who jokingly called himself “a retirement failure,” discovered he wasn’t ready to retire. He returned to education less than three months later, serving briefly as interim superintendent at Belle Vernon School District before accepting the same position at Washington School District in November 2021.

Now, Lammay said, the time has truly come for the longtime administrator and former football coach to “take a knee” and run out the clock.

“I want to be able to enjoy retirement and be with my family,” said Lammay, who plans to spend more time with his wife, Sheryl, their three children, and their grandchildren. “This job can be demanding, and it requires a lot of energy to continue to move this district forward. I want to give the school district my best, and I feel my energy has started to drop. We’ve done some really good things, but I thought it was time to leave.”

Lammay earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary social studies education and went on to receive his master’s degree in secondary administration from the University of Pittsburgh.

His career began in the Elizabeth Forward School District working with at-risk youth and teaching.

“I didn’t get into the field of education strictly for the academic side of it,” said Lammay. “At Elizabeth Forward I was working with the Student Assistance Program (SAP) and kids who had drug and mental health and abuse issues, and that was important to me. I’ve been an administrator for 26 years now, and even in that role, you have a great opportunity to help young people through various stages of development, and that’s important.”

Lammay also spent 20 years as a football coach, including stints as head coach at Elizabeth Forward and Bentworth.

He said the lessons student-athletes learn from being a part of a team are more important than individual success.

“In all of my years of coaching, I coached five or six kids who were legitimate Division I kids. For the rest of the kids I coached, it wasn’t about getting athletic scholarships. It was about what athletics means, and the message of sacrificing individuality for the good of the team,” said Lammay. “I’ve been fortunate to coach great young men who became great dads and great members of the community, and successful in their fields.”

Being involved in extracurriculars also offers a reason for students to do well academically, he said.

In retirement, Lammay will continue to serve as the long-time public address announcer for Washington & Jefferson College Sports.

An ordained pastor, Lammay also is active in church ministry.

“The good Lord will let me know what’s next. I don’t know exactly what that is, other than being a good husband, father and grandfather. I haven’t been able to do much with football lately, maybe someone can find a spot for a guy with gray hair to help out,” he joked.

Lammay expressed his gratitude to the board of education for their support throughout his tenure, and to the educators, administrators and staff he worked with “who are committed to the kids.”

He described his time with the district as an honor and a privilege, and his career in education as rewarding.

Lammay said he is glad he came out of retirement to serve as a superintendent, which had always been a goal.

“I wanted to be a superintendent before I retired, and I think I did that in a meaningful way,” said Lammay.

Lammay has spent the majority of his career working in small school districts, which he has enjoyed.

“A man who has been a mentor to me, John Lozosky, who was a superintendent, said this school district is small enough that you can get your arms around it,” said Lammay. “I tried to get my arms around the district. The educational part of what we do is extremely important, and I loved the academic part, but education is about a lot more than reading, writing and math.

“It’s about providing opportunities and helping kids believe they can be successful,” he continued. “Kids need to know that people care about them, and when people care about them, kids respond really well. That’s what I tried to do.”