Principal

OFFICE OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION – DIOCESE OF HARRISBURG 
ELEMENTARY PRINCIPALS' JOB DESCRIPTION 

Full-Time starting in July or August 2026 
City & State: Lancaster, PA 
School: St. Leo the Great School 
FLSA Status: EXEMPT 

St. Leo the Great Catholic Elementary School (PreK-8) is looking for a new principal to start 
in the 2026-2027 school year. St. Leo the Great School is renowned in the Lancaster area 
for its academic excellence. For the past 60+ years, our teaching philosophy has been 
guided by the belief that each student is a unique gift of God, created with special gifts and 
talents. It is our goal to nurture and develop those gifts to the benefit of the Church and the 
community. We maintain this goal through a Classical Education Model that draws on the 
Catholic Church's historical tradition of education and keeps Jesus Christ at the center. As 
the principal of a Catholic school, you will have the support of the school staff, the 
parishes that are connected to the school, the school board, the diocesan office, and the 
faithful community. You will collaborate with and get to know fellow school principals who 
share your calling from the other 31 schools in our diocese. You will be instrumental in the 
formation and growth of over 300 young lives (based on current enrollment). 
The Elementary School Principal in the Diocese of Harrisburg has the primary responsibility 
for both the spiritual and educational leadership and the administration of the school, 
which seeks to offer high-quality academic programs that are integrated with religious 
truths and values. The Elementary School Principal is directly accountable to the Pastor. 
In general, administrative tasks include: 
• Organization of the school so that appropriate religious formation and learning can 
take place 
• Development of a competent faculty and staff 
• Development and implementation of an appropriate curriculum 
• Provision for the safety, welfare, and care of the students while they are attending 
school 
• Management of the physical facilities of the school 
• Management of the financial and business affairs of the school as determined by 
the approved budget by the Pastor and the School Board 
• Development of good school-community relationships and involvement in all 
aspects of the Development Program. 
The minimum expectations for achieving the above tasks are the following:

 
GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES 
1. To administer the school according to Diocesan and local policies. 
2. To give leadership for achieving the goals of Catholic education. 
3. To show evidence of knowledge of the Catholic Philosophy of Education. 
4. To work towards the creation of a Catholic community within the school. 
5. To be a leader in the school faith community, integrating the goals and objectives of 
the school with those of local parish(es), especially in the faith formation and 
ongoing development of students and faculty. 
6. To provide opportunities for prayer and the sacraments for staff and students. 
7. To maintain open channels for two-way communications with all segments of the 
school clientele. 
8. To show respect for individuals and fairness in dealing with others. 

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BOARD 
1. To serve as the Executive Officer of a Board of Education, executing and 
implementing its policies and directives in coordination with those of the Diocesan 
Office of Catholic Education. 
2. To report regularly to the Board regarding the implementation of diocesan/local 
policies, curriculum development, evaluation, and school concerns. 
3. To prepare the necessary background material for local policy formation and for 
long-range planning. 
4. To update the Board on current educational trends, issues, new laws, and other in
service matters that will be useful to them. 
5. To assist the Board and the Pastor in the preparation of the annual budget and to 
administer and monitor the approved budget within the designated parameters. 
6. To confer regularly and frequently with the Chairperson of the Board of Education. 

LEADERSHIP OF FACULTY AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT 
1. To hire and assign teachers in accordance with Diocesan policies. 
2. To provide orientation and ongoing in-service for the faculty according to their 
needs. 
3. To direct and involve the faculty in an ongoing program of philosophy and Mission 
Statement evaluation, curriculum assessment, and planning for instructional 
improvement. 
4. To assist the entire faculty in the integration of the Catholic Philosophy of Education 
and the Classical Education Model into the curriculum. 
5. To ensure the implementation of the Diocesan Religion curriculum and a spiritual 
and religious formation program for the faculty and students.  
6. To promote the growth of the faculty through ongoing supervision and evaluation. 
7. To diversify the curriculum to serve the scope of abilities, talents, interests, and 
needs of students. 
8. To be familiar with all textbooks and instructional materials used throughout the 
school. 
9. To devise a plan for the regular replacement of textbooks and materials. 
10. To assist teachers in the guidance, assessment, and analysis of student 
achievement. 
11. To provide the faculty with materials and resources necessary for their assigned 
tasks. 
12. To conduct monthly faculty meetings and to provide opportunities for faculty 
involvement in the agenda preparation. 
13. To oversee the scheduling of classes and daily lesson planning by teachers. 
MANAGEMENT AND RECORD-KEEPING 
1. To develop and communicate routine procedures for the operation of the school. 
2. To publish rules, regulations, schedules, and procedures, and to be consistent in 
expectations regarding them. 
3. To maintain discipline throughout the school so that a learning environment 
prevails. 
4. To unify expectations for high academic standards throughout the school. 
5. To implement fire, tornado, health, and safety codes in the school and on the 
school grounds. 
6. To provide appropriate maintenance and cleanliness of the school for the safety and 
well-being of the students. 
7. To meet deadlines with official school reports and statistics as required by Diocesan 
and State personnel. 
8. To keep school files organized professionally. 
9. To maintain an up-to-date professional file for each teacher. 
10. To be responsible for overseeing that accurate and up-to-date cumulative, 
attendance, and health records are kept on every student. 

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND PUBLIC RELATIONS 
1. To provide opportunities for regular conferences and meetings of parents and 
teachers. 
2. To provide channels for parent involvement and input in curriculum and school 
policies. 
3. To alert parents to the special needs and/or problems of their children. 
4. To keep parents informed through regular school bulletins. 
5. To cooperate with, and help to promote, the various programs existing in and for the 
school. 
6. To represent the school to the general community. 
7. To develop and maintain public relations with and among appropriate publics. 

PERFORMANCE REVIEW 
1. To engage in the Elementary Principal's Personal Performance Review 
2. To engage in an annual Elementary Principal's Performance Review with the 
Pastor/Executive Pastor. 
3. To complete the Elementary Principal's SUMMARY sheet 
4. To update the Elementary Principal's Information sheet annually. 

QUALIFICATIONS: 
1. A practicing Catholic, whose value system and lifestyle are consistent with Catholic 
Church teaching, committed to ongoing personal spiritual development, and willing 
and able to foster a faith community among faculty members and students. 
2. An educator who holds a Master's degree in Educational Administration with a 
Pennsylvania Administrative certificate or a Master's degree in Education with a 
commitment to pursue the required courses for a Pennsylvania Administrative 
certificate. 
3. An educator who has had at least five (5) current years of satisfactory Catholic 
school teaching/administrative experience. 
4. An educator who can present evidence of certification of religious studies 
comparable to the current requirements established by the Office of Catechetical 
Training or one who is committed to attaining such certification within the first three 
years of principalship. 
5. An educator with an openness to and interest in developing a Classical Education 
Model. 
The Catholic Schools' Department reserves the right to waive whichever of the 
qualifications it deems individual circumstances warrant.