by Geoff Fox
During the January 21 Washington County Board of Education meeting, board members certified a number of staff changes. Two of those moves affected Hancock Middle-Senior High School.
The first was the “separation from service” with Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Kermit Moyer who left for a different professional role.
The other was naming his replacement as assistant principal – Jennifer Bausman.
Bausman most recently served as the principal at Easter Elementary in Hagerstown.
Before that, Bausman served as principal at the Academy of Blended Learning (ABLE) and worked as an assistant principal at Salem Avenue Elementary, Western Heights Middle School, and E. Russell Hicks.
She’s also worked as an administrator, Title I Curriculum and Instruction Coordinator at Eastern Elementary, lead teacher for the English-Language Arts department, and the Student Achievement Specialist/Enrichment Teacher at Pleasant Valley Elementary.
The move from Eastern Elementary to Hancock Middle-Senior High School comes in the middle of the school year.
Bausman said while it was a difficult decision to request to move, the workload as principal is “significant” and she wanted to spend more time with her family in the evenings.
“I have worked at both the elementary and middle-school levels and have always wanted to work in the high-school setting,” she said in an email. “So when this position presented itself, it was an ideal opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.”
Bausman said her goal at Hancock is to continue to build relationships with the students, staff, and families.
“I am committed to helping our students succeed by encouraging them to put forth their best effort in all that they do and helping them to reach their full potential,” she said.
She’s also dedicated to supporting both students and staff and hopes to foster a collaborative and inspiring environment that promotes success for all the students.
Bausman and her husband have two children – a 10-year old daughter and a 24-year old son.
Her son is a Washington County Public Schools graduate, attended college at SUNY-ESF, and works as a forester in Salisbury. Bausman’s daughter is in the fourth grade and “is full of energy” playing soccer. The family spends a lot of time at her practices and games, she added.
Bausman is a huge Dallas Cowboys fan and enjoys watching football.
“The students and staff have been so welcoming, and I am so happy to be working here,” Bausman said.
She added during her first few days at Hancock, many students came up to her and introduced themselves to her, which impressed her with their kindness and maturity.
“Thank you for such a warm welcome!” she said. “I am truly excited to be here and look forward to working with students, families, and staff.”