Jeremy Hritz is embarking on his first year as the assistant principal of the Kennett Middle School, but he is already familiar with the area. He fell in love with the Kennett community four years ago when a friend suggested running in Kennett to train for a marathon.

“I felt an immediate connection to the area and have been running here every weekend,” Hritz explained. “I feel very fortunate to have been named the new assistant principal. Being here as a member of Kennett’s staff enables me to see how special the community really is.”

Prior to joining the Kennett Consolidated School District, Hritz taught high school English for five and a half years and served as the assistant principal for four and a half years, most recently at Elkton High School in Cecil County, Maryland.

Hritz earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from Penn State. He also has two master’s degrees: one in liberal arts and one in school leadership. He successfully defended his dissertation in May to earn his doctorate in education. Always open to learning, Hritz began coursework this August toward a third master’s degree in special education.

At Kennett Middle School, Hritz will work with the eighth grade class. His responsibilities include regular meetings with teachers to review student successes and challenges and to create a plan to help students overcome their challenges. Hritz also serves as the liaison between eighth-grade parents and the school, and has set a goal for himself to reach out to every family with students in the school’s eighth grade.

“One of my goals is to know each child and their family,” Hritz said. “I want parents to know that I am accessible and I am here to help their child be successful. I want to encourage and help students set goals and realize they can achieve anything.”

He is looking forward to supporting the teachers and staff at Kennett Middle School, getting to know the district, and immersing himself in the community. He has also challenged himself to become conversationally fluent in Spanish. He took four years of Spanish as an undergraduate.  

Hritz has successfully completed four marathons, reaching his personal best time of 3 hours, 45 minutes. He is currently training for the Rehoboth Marathon and is working to eventually qualify for the Boston Marathon in a few years.

In addition to running, Hritz is a sports fan who roots for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Steelers. He is quick to point out that he grew up in Pittsburgh.

Hritz and his wife, Andrea, are expecting their first child in February.