After pausing its search due to COVID, Bellefonte Area School District names its next superintendent
After serving in the interim, Tammie Burnaford has been named the Bellefonte Area School District’s next superintendent.
The board of directors approved the hire at Tuesday night’s board meeting. Burnaford was appointed in April to take over as interim superintendent upon Michelle Saylor’s retirement in July, as the district paused its search process amid COVID-19. She has worked in the district for 18 years, serving as Pleasant Gap Elementary School principal and district assistant superintendent.
“I’m honored to be part of the team,” she said after a unanimous vote to approve her hiring.
A lifelong Centre County resident, Burnaford has spent 33 years working as an educator and obtained all of her degrees from Penn State University.
“We really appreciate it, and as we’ve all seen through emails and conversations with people in public, your communication and your ability to get us through the crisis that we faced was exemplary,” board President Jon Guizar said.
The district approved a three-year term, which ends in June 2024, with an annual salary of $142,011.
As superintendent, Burnaford will help oversee district operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing debate over the district’s mascot and the proposed elementary building project.
This story was originally published March 10, 2021 at 3:22 PM.
