The Depew school superintendent is leaving in January to assume the same post in the Wellsville Central School District in Allegany County.

With six months left on her three-year contract at Depew, Kimberly A. Mueller will replace retiring Wellsville Superintendent Byron Chandler, effective Jan. 19.

Mueller said Friday that she would have no comment until Depew’s next Board of Education meeting, Dec. 1.

“I’ll wait until there’s official action,” she said.

Board President Steven Carmina also said, “Until it’s official, I’ll have no comment.” He added, “We wish her luck and are sorry to see her go.”

Board member Diane Benczkowski said Friday, “I’m very sorry to see Kim go. I thought she made a lot of great changes at Depew. And I think she’ll take a lot of things she’s done here to Wellsville. I wish her the best.”

The Wellsville School Board voted unanimously Monday to hire Mueller, one of two finalists for the job. The other finalist out of a field of seven was Cheryl Thomas, assistant superintendent of Wappingers Central School District in Wappingers Falls. Mueller’s starting salary will be $142,500 a year under a three-year contract, according to Chandler. Her salary in Depew this year is $140,000.

Both finalists underwent interviews with the boards in Wellsville, which has a student enrollment of 1,350, and Scio, which has 420 students, because a possible merger of those two districts is under consideration. Depew has about 2,000 students.

The candidates also met earlier this month with school faculty and administrators and members of the community. Alan Mosher, president of the Wellsville Board of Education, said Friday that Mueller “rose to the top” from a group of “quality candidates.”

“The fact that she was a sitting superintendent with a good, solid background in financials and redistricting” were also plusses, Mosher said.

Wellsville has also embarked on a $25.8 million capital project. Mueller has overseen Depew’s $33 million capital project, which is nearing completion.

Chandler said Friday that when the search for his replacement began, the Wellsville board knew it wanted “someone with experience in capital projects,” a sentiment echoed by Mosher.