Abington High School Gets a New Principal

Abington School District Spokesman Byron Goldstein said the school district did an extensive, nation-wide search to find a replacement for Abington Senior High School principal Jeffrey Fecher. As it turns out, it only had to look next door.

The Abington School Board on Tuesday unanimously appointed Abington Junior High School eighth-grade assistant principal Angelo Berrios as Fecher’s successor. Berrios will start July 1. 

Fecher, in early January, was tapped as the district’s next assistant superintendant. Starting July 1, Fecher will serve as assistant to the superintendent. On Jan. 1, he will assume the role of assistant superintendent, replacing the retiring Leigh Altadonna.

Berrios is a former social studies teacher at both the high school and the junior high school. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Penn State University, his master’s degree in educational leadership from St. Joseph’s University and is currently working on getting his doctorate in educational leadership from Temple University.

“The district did quite an extensive promotion for this position — advertising nationally and asking for input from colleagues locally,” Goldstein said. “The district received 79 recommendations from all over the country, which is pretty remarkable.”

Each candidate had to give his or her vision for the high school, and had to work through different "scenarios" for the school, Goldstein said.

Fecher has been the high school principal since July 2008.

Berrios did not immediately return calls, but check back soon for his reaction to moving across campus.