Hempfield Area will have a new principal at Fort Allen Elementary School next school year.
Ross Houston, a principal in the Greater Johnstown Middle School, was hired by the Hempfield Area School Board Monday on an unanimous vote. Houston will receive an annual salary of $135,000 for the 2026-2027 school year.
Houston said he likely will remain at Greater Johnstown for the remainder of the 2025-2026 school year and will start in his new position as of July 1.
Houston has been the middle school principal at Greater Johnstown since July 2024 and was an elementary assistant principal at Greater Johnstown from January 2023 to June 2024, according to his LinkedIn page. He also had been a secondary special education education teacher at the Somerset Area School District for 14 years.
Houston replaces David Vezendy, who will return to teaching social studies at his request, said Hempfield Area Superintendent Mark Holtzman.