BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Bethlehem Area School District has tapped one of its own to lead Hanover Elementary School after a recent hire for the role backed out before his start date.
On Wednesday, BASD announced Daniel Terry, now an assistant principal at Northeast Middle School, will start as Hanover Elementary’s new principal on Jan. 5, pending school board approval.
The next school board meeting when a personnel agenda will be up for a vote is at 7 p.m. Dec. 15, at East Hills Middle School.Bethlehem Area School District
Terry has been an educator and administrator in BASD for nearly two decades, according to a district news release on his hiring.
“I am honored to join Hanover Elementary School,” Terry said in a statement.
“I look forward to working with our students, staff and families to continue building a positive, inclusive, and engaging learning environment.”
The next school board meeting when a personnel agenda will be up for a vote is at 7 p.m. Dec. 15, at East Hills Middle School.
Previous hire backs out
Terry was hired for the role afterRalph Andrews, a principal in Carbon County’s Palmerton Area School District, backed out.
The school board had approved his hiring in October, and Andrews was slated to start on the job at Hanover on Nov. 24.
But by the Nov. 17 school board meeting, he had declined the role for “personal reasons,” which were not made public by the district.
BASD has tried to fill the principalship at Hanover for months as Eric Fontanez, the district’s supervisor of its Office of Equity, serves as interim principal.
The previous principal, Erin Hines, was placed on leave in March after she was arrested and charged with drunken driving. She had crashed into three cars in a shopping center parking lot, police said.
The district later confirmed she was no longer employed by Bethlehem Area.
Terry has 'enthusiasm,' 'dedication'
In a Wednesday statement, Superintendent Jack Silva welcomed Terry as Hanover’s new principal.
“His enthusiasm, experience, and dedication to students and families make him an excellent addition to the Hanover community,” Silva said.
During his tenure at BASD, Terry gained experience in master scheduling, conducting instructional observations and supporting literacy initiatives.
He also has experience overseeing English Language Arts and Social Studies departments, and serving on the development team for the Middle School Program of Studies.
Before serving as a building administrator at Northeast Middle School for the past three years, Terry was the dean of students at Liberty High School during the 2021-22 academic year.
During that time, he worked on student schedules, led a program on educator stamina and self-care, and advanced restorative practices — which focus on having students repair harm when there is a disciplinary issue, rather than only relying on punishments.
Previously, he was a social studies teacher at Liberty, starting at BASD in 2006. He taught ninth, 10th and 11th grades.
Terry has two master’s degrees from Wilkes University — one in educational leadership and another in science in education with a specialization in instructional technology.
He has a teaching certificate from Kutztown University and a bachelor’s degree in geography from Millersville University.
