BASD names Jennifer Cierech next Calypso Elementary principal

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The Bethlehem Area School District on Thursday announced the appointment of Jennifer Cierech, a longtime district educator, as the next principal of Calypso Elementary School. The school board is expected to formally approve the appointment at its Monday meeting.

The release did not detail the circumstances of the leadership change at the West Side neighborhood school. Kathleen Bast is still listed as Calypso’s principal on the school’s website and on the district’s elementary school leadership page.

The release does not say whether Bast remains in the role, has retired, has taken leave, or has moved to another position.

Cierech is currently an assistant principal at Broughal Middle School, a position confirmed by the district’s middle school leadership page, and previously taught Spanish at the elementary and secondary levels in BASD, the release said.

The district said she also “recently served as Interim Principal at Calypso Elementary School,” though the release did not specify the dates of that interim service or how it related to her Broughal role.

Asked in writing for additional context, BASD Communications Manager Jennifer LoConte-Kugler said more information would not be available until after the board’s vote. “No further information is currently available prior to board approval,” LoConte-Kugler wrote in an email Thursday.

LoConte-Kugler confirmed that the appointment is scheduled for a vote at the board’s regular meeting on Monday, May 18, which is open to the public.

In a statement included in the release, Superintendent Jack P. Silva called Cierech “a homegrown leader whose career has flourished here.” Silva announced in February that he will retire effective July 1, after 40 years in public education.

“I am honored to serve the Calypso Elementary community in this new role,” Cierech said in the release. “Having grown within BASD as both a teacher and leader, I am strongly committed to supporting students, empowering staff, and building strong partnerships with families and the community to ensure every child thrives.”

According to the district, Cierech has worked in BASD for more than two decades, including stints as a Spanish teacher and as the district’s Spanish K-5 program lead. She holds master’s degrees in educational leadership and in curriculum and instruction from Moravian University and a bachelor’s degree in education from Shippensburg University.

Calypso Elementary, at 1021 Calypso Ave., is a neighborhood school whose students all live within a mile of the building. BASD is the sixth-largest school district in Pennsylvania, serving more than 12,240 students across 22 schools, the district said.