• Kris Vancas named district's director of curriculum and instruction

    vancasAt a meeting in March, the Bellefonte Area school board appointed Benner Elementary School Principal Kris Vancas to the position of director of curriculum and instruction.

    A graduate of Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District, Vancas attended Bloomsburg University where he earned a bachelor’s degrees in elementary education, and completed Master and Doctorate of Education degrees at California University of Pennsylvania.

    Vancas dedicated 28 years to education. His career began as an elementary classroom teacher at Penns Valley Area School District where he served until 2007. He then joined Bellefonte Area School District as the vice principal at Bellefonte Elementary School. The next step in Vancas’s career led him to the position of principal at Benner Elementary School. Additional district duties included attendance officer, homeless liaison and foster care point of contact, which have since been transferred to another administrator.

    Accolades received by Vancas include Pennsylvania Region 7 Homeless Liaison of the Year in 2017. His dedicated service, love of students and passion for education earned him the honor of 2019 Pennsylvania National Distinguished Principal of the Year.

  • Administrative vacancies filled
    park baugh eckenroth
    Mr. Dan Park filled the vacant principal position at Benner, replacing Vancas. He was the previous vice principal at Bellefonte Elementary School. Mike Baughman was selected to fill the vice principal position at Bellefonte Elementary, coming from vice principal at Bellefonte Area Middle School. The district hired Joe Eckenroth in May to fill the BAMS vice principal role, effective July 1.

    Tammie Burnaford was also named superintendent at a school board meeting in March. Learn more, here: Superintendent

    *Information provided by the Human Resources Department