Highlights from State College Area School District
State College Area High School, photo credit Homes.com
State High sits in the top 8 percent of high schools nationally and our district is full of top tier educators and facilities. (Not to mention students!) Here are some things we’re proud to know are happening in the world of local education.
Photo: Nabil K. Mark
Not to brag, but…
Principal of the Year? We’ve got her!
State High principal Laura Tobias has been named Pennsylvania’s 2025 Principal of the Year by the Pennsylvania Principals Association.
Tobias’s creative leadership has led to a significant reduction in discipline incidents through her Positive Behavior Interventions and Support Program. Her Mental Health Matters Club helps to build a positive school environment. And if you’ve driven down Westerly Parkway and noticed decorated parking spaces in the student parking lot? That was her doing, too, and has become a fun yearly tradition for senior students.
With countless other accomplishments under her belt, this recognition is well-deserved and we’re proud to have Laura in a leadership role at State High!
Photo: Nabil K. Mark
The most adorable school bus…
Three days a week (during good weather months), an unconventional “bus”, powered by feet and led by parents, retirees, and one proud student who gets to carry the Walking School Bus sign, “picks up” Greentree neighborhood students and accompanies them until they reach Corl Street Elementary School.
The walking school bus initiative, which has been around for more than a decade and grown in popularity throughout the country and around the world, gives community members of all ages a chance to interact, notice the world around them, get some exercise, and start their day in an uplifting way.
State College’s first walking school bus was kickstarted by local chiropractor Roy Love and he and his wife Cindy worked with Corl Street Principal Kelly Mark to form a committee of parents and volunteers to run the bus.
So far, it’s been enthusiastically embraced by the kids, parents, and seniors who get to “ride” together.
Photo: Nabil K. Mark
Pineapple cakes all around…
In January, English as a Second Language students from Asian countries were surprised with boxes full of traditional pineapple cakes to take home and share with their families to celebrate Lunar New Year.
Coordinated as a surprise for more than seventy students and their families, Family Liaison/Bilingual Educator Alix Croswell collaborated with the ESL program’s Chinese and Korean translators and State High’s culinary arts program to prepare, box, and deliver the cakes.
Photo: Nabil K. Mark
And an outstanding new teacher…
Kate Hallinger is back for more! After receiving the Pennsylvania Council of Mathematics Teachers New Teacher Award, she’s also recently been recognized with the Penn State College of Education Alumni Society’s Outstanding New Graduate Award.
Radio Park Elementary’s second graders get to experience Kate’s wonderful ability to connect with them on a deep level, bring collaboration and creativity to the classroom, and meet their unique academic and behavioral needs.
Congratulations, Kate!
