High school principal, middle school assistant approved in Plum

With the May 24 approvals by Plum Borough School Board, two administrators are ready to start July 1 in their new positions.

Heather Hibner takes over as principal at Plum Senior High School, and Scott Lazzaro as Oblock Junior High assistant principal.

Hibner comes to Plum with 18 years of experience in public education, the past six as an assistant principal at Elizabeth Forward High School. She will earn $120,000 in 2022-23.

Lazzaro, who has worked for Plum for 10 years, has a starting salary of $86,000.00 in his new position. He also received an extension of his lead teacher role at the hith school through June 30, at a daily rate of $315.54.

A graduate of Bethany College with a degree in English education, Hibner earned her master’s in education for leadership and administration at California University of Pennsylvania, and her doctorate in leadership and education at Point Park University.

Professionally, she taught English, entertainment technologies and the gifted program in South Allegheny and Elizabeth Forward school districts. As an administrator, she was a Baldwin High School assistant principal for three years prior to taking a similar role at Elizabeth Forward.

Hibner said she wants students to know that she takes a coaching-style approach to everything, including her career, stemming from her days as a softball player at Bethany.

“The teachers I have a coaching approach, the interactions I have with students will always have a coaching approach and a coaching aspect,” she said.

Lazzaro earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in teaching at the University of Pittsburgh. With Plum, he has been a biology teacher and leader of the science department in the district. He also has served as interim assistant principal at the high school this past year and in the role of lead teacher.

“I’m very excited,” he said about his new position. “As a employee of Plum Borough School District since 2012, I’ve really been able to see our students grow and see our students on the other side of the transition from middle school to high school. Seeing what those students come in with and their abilities, and their successes, I really feel like I can have a positive impact on the students at the middle school.”