‘Nothing but your absolute best.’ Bellefonte administrator to leave district after 17 years
After 17 years, one of Bellefonte Area School District’s most beloved educators is leaving the district.
During a Wednesday night meeting, the board of directors accepted assistant superintendent Kris Vancas’s resignation, effective Oct. 1. Vancas has been with the district since 2007, working as the principal of Benner Elementary for several years prior to becoming assistant superintendent.
During his time as principal, Vancas was recognized as a nationally distinguished principal in 2018 and received a Governor’s Award for Excellence in Academics in 2013.
Vancas was also one of three finalists in the search to replace superintendent Tammie Burnaford, who announced in October that she would retire after her contract expires in June. In April, the board approved a new superintendent contract with Roy Rakszawski, the superintendent of Edgewater Park School District in New Jersey.
Vancas said he does not have plans beyond watching his son’s baseball games and visiting his daughter, but knows he will return to education at some point.
“It has been a great 31 years in public education, 17 of them in the Bellefonte Area School District,” Vancas wrote in an email to the CDT. “I appreciate the opportunities provided to me during my time here and in the Penns Valley School District. I look forward to continuing to positively contribute to the Bellefonte community.”
Several community members and former students attended Wednesday’s meeting to thank Vancas for his years with the district and his work at Benner Elementary. During public comment, parent and assistant baseball coach Josh Brown called Vancas a true friend and extraordinary person.
“You’ve always been there for our children, and you’ve given nothing but your absolute best here during your time here,” Brown said. “I’ve known you for over 10 years now and although many things have changed over that time period, the one thing that was always constant was how you were reliable, dependable, self-accountable.”
Several board members also thanked Vancas for his work within the district before approving his resignation.
“You are one of the kindest and most professional people I’ve ever met,” board member Donna Smith said.
During the meeting, the board also recognized Bellefonte Area High School principal Mike Fedisson, who was named Pennsylvania Principal of the Year for 2024-2025. Fedisson is the third administrator in the district to receive the award, alongside Vancas and Karen L. Krisch, principal of Marion-Walker Elementary School.
