Hershey High School principal Dr. Jeff Smith will be leaving Hershey by the end of March to accept a position at Pottsgrove High School. 

The move is to be closer to home. He has commuted 75 miles daily since he started at HHS in July, 2017. He will assume the position of Pottsgrove High School Principal immediately.

When asked what brought him to HHS Dr. Smith said the reputation. “I believe a lot of people are familiar with what Hershey has to offer in terms of community and you couple that with an amazing school system, so it was just the perfect opportunity. It’s just a great place,” said Dr. Smith.

Dr. Smith moved to HHS from Norristown High School, where he was a principal for six years. Previously Smith worked for 18 years at Radnor High School.

He looks back at his five years in Hershey fondly. “I was welcomed with open arms and did not feel like an outsider for a second,” said Dr. Smith in an interview.

The past three years were a challenge with virtual learning, a fractured school community, and a worldwide pandemic. If Dr. Smith was here for one more year, he would focus his time on recovering the school community.

“We are continuing to rebuild but with a stronger focus on what the students want,” said Dr. Smith.

He viewed the pandemic as an opportunity to improve blended learning courses and the open campus. If seniors have first or last period study halls, they can come in later or leave early. Senior study halls are only the beginning of the open campus idea, next year juniors will have the same opportunity.

Dr. Smith will miss the people in the HHS community most of all. “The level of care I’ve seen from teacher to teacher, student to teacher, student to student,” said Dr. Smith, “it’s not like anything I’ve ever seen. So that to me is incredibly special about this place.”