SMETHPORT — The Smethport Area School Board on Wednesday approved the appointment of Brice Benson as principal of the Smethport Area Junior-Senior High School.
Since July 2015, Benson has been the principal of Ridgway Area High School. In 2018, Ridgway Area High School was recognized as one of eight schools in Pennsylvania to be recognized as a Blue Ribbon School.
Benson is a former social studies teacher in the St. Marys Area School District, where he coached boys’ basketball. As an administrator, he is also a former secondary principal in the Oswayo Valley School District.
Smethport Schools Superintendent David London said Benson will begin his new job as soon as he can be released from the Ridgway district. In the meantime, London, Julia Anderson and Kristin Zona are handling administrative duties at the high school.
A native of the area, Benson holds a bachelor’s degree from Houghton College and a Master of Science degree in educational leadership from Duquesne University.
In other business, the directors approved a resolution electing not to increase the school property tax rate for the 2019-20 school year above the district’s adjusted index of 3.4 percent.
Directors also re-elected their top two officers: President Larry Dennis and Vice-President Bill Funk. Director Dan Wertz served as temporary president during the election for president.
