New year, new faces: Meet State College’s interim superintendent, other school leaders

As the start of the school year approaches for Centre County school districts, a number of administrative changes are in place, including a new leader at the helm of the State College Area School District.

Interim Superintendent Curtis Johnson was chosen by the board in May to serve after the departure of longtime superintendent Bob O’Donnell, who is now serving as superintendent in the Downingtown Area School District.

Johnson is a familiar face at SCASD, having served as assistant superintendent for secondary education and the State High principal.

.A former Penn State basketball player, he’s served as the university’s representative for the Big Ten Advisory Commission on the treatment of marginalized athletes. He was also on the board for Pennsylvania’s Principals Association and was elected as assistant principal at-large for the National Board of Secondary School Principals.

Johnson, who worked with O’Donnell since 2011, said the former superintendent advised him to rely on the administrative team, advice that he’s following.

“I have a terrific group of people working with me as a team, which is great just to know that you have people in your corner, administrators, central office staff, and teachers that all want to see you succeed,” Johnson said.

The district is still searching for a permanent superintendent, with applications for the position to close on Sept. 14.

In the meantime, Johnson has several goals for the district during his term as interim superintendent.

Johnson said he strives to continue the work the district did last year, focusing on pandemic-related learning loss, mental health and equity. He is working with the district’s director of equity and inclusivity, Seria Chatters, to create an equity action plan.

“Even though our students are achieving higher than a lot of the state average, we are still seeing a gap between our students of color and our white students, so we’d really like to address that,” Johnson said.

Removing barriers between students and academic success is a priority this year, Johnson said. The district is looking at conducting a school climate survey at some point this year to understand how to address student needs better.

“I think you need to work to improve,” Johnson said. “You can’t stay static. I think with our resources, the caliber of our teachers and how strong our student population is, that we could be one of the best schools in the state.”

Johnson’s background is in secondary education with 19 years at the district, serving as both a principal and assistant superintendent. But he’s meeting with parents and teachers at the elementary schools before classes start up again.

“My focus this year is getting out to the elementary school schools and developing relationships there and to see what they’re doing,” Johnson said. “I mean, they’re the foundation of what we offer here and they do such a great job of instilling in learning attributes within their school or students.”

Although he’s an administrator, Johnson’s great love is for interacting with students. When he stepped into the role of principal, he knew that time with students would become more infrequent.

“I never thought I would leave the high school because I love working with the kids,” Johnson said. “That was the best part. I knew as soon as I became a principal that I was really divorcing myself from kids because it’s just more in your office kind of work.”

But he still keeps up on the trends. Johnson is an avid YouTube watcher and makes a point to read the required curriculum books and popular teen series including the Harry Potter books and, yes, “Twilight.”

Other new administrators

Johnson is not the only new administrator in Centre County, with other districts making recent hires or changes to leadership and staff.

Bald Eagle Area

Bald Eagle Area School District recently hired its new superintendent Curtis A. Whitesel, in July. Whitesel was chosen after a four-month search and will start in October. Joseph Clapper will continue to serve as interim superintendent until Whitesel starts.

BEASD also has a new assistant principal of secondary education, Marilee Close, a former counselor for the district.

Bellefonte

As of July, Michael Baughman is the new principal of Bellefonte Elementary. Baughman was formerly the vice-principal of the school.

Jennifer Brown was appointed as Bellefonte’s new E-Learning Academy Principal. This is a new position for the district and part of expanding the district’s virtual learning program.

Philipsburg-Osceola

In the Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District, Kelly Rephart-Rees, who was appointed as the Osceola Mills Elementary principal in June, moved to an administrative position within the district. Chera Mason, a former fourth grade teacher at Osceola Mills Elementary School, will step into the role of principal.

Penns Valley Area School District schools have not had any major administrative changes over the summer months, superintendent Brian Griffith said.