Avella school district hires two principals
Students and staff in Avella Area School District will see familiar faces in new roles when classes resume in September.
On April 15, at their regularly scheduled meeting, school board members hired two teachers, Sheryl Wright-Brown and Zach Zebrasky, to fill the vacant high school and elementary principal positions, respectively.
They begin their new roles July 1.
The positions opened earlier this year after a series of events. Superintendent Janell Logue-Belden left for the top job in Deer Lakes School District in January. Cyril Walther, now acting superintendent and high school principal, was hired in March to take over Logue-Belden’s position. The district needed to fill Walther’s position at the high school, and a search began. A short time later, Walther said elementary school principal Bobbi-Ann Barnes resigned.
“She resigned to move on to Deer Lakes,” Walther said.
Walther said internal candidates were identified and interviewed. Wright-Brown and Zebrasky were a perfect fit, he said.
“They are invested in Avella and the community,” he said. “Sheryl has been with the district for 16 years, and Zach about three and a half years. They are both very much Avella Eagles.”
Wright-Brown, 42, a high school history teacher, former coach and current president of Avella’s teachers union, said she looks forward to the opportunity. She does not anticipate any problems with the transition from teacher to administrator.
“I’ve worked in different administrative roles throughout my career,” Wright-Brown said. “Plus, everybody is really supportive and really wonderful to work with.”
She believes the high school is on a “good path,” and has no immediate plans to make changes.
“I will set goals, increase student achievement,” she said.
Wright-Brown started her career with Avella after graduating from Gannon University in 1995. She was hired at a salary of $72,000.
Zebrasky, 28, a high school social studies and science teacher and coach, said he looks forward to learning about his new students and staff. During his first year, he plans to observe “how things work.”
“I don’t want to make any immediate changes. A year of reflections will give me an idea of where we need to go,” Zebrasky said. “It will be a learning experience.”
Zebrasky spent two years in Washington School District as a long-term substitute teacher before coming to Avella. He graduated from Washington & Jefferson College in 2009. He was hired at a salary of $62,500.