Teacher, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, superintendent, school board member.

There exists a specific hierarchy in school districts like Conestoga Valley (CV), and the members of each level report to and support those in higher levels. Each level also has its own duties and requires its own unique skill set, all focused toward one common goal.

As the principal at Conestoga Valley High School, Matt Fox is a key person in that educational hierarchy, but no more or less important than the administrators and staff members who surround him.

"The assistant superintendent is my supervisor, and I supervise the assistant principals and teachers," said Fox of his role as high school building principal. "I really carry on the mission of the school board and superintendent for the district. I use that mission and carry it back to my building. We're learning together. My role is to take their vision and mission and pass that on to my staff and the Conestoga Valley community."

"We need to make sure we're meeting all of our students' needs," Fox continued. "We're always looking for ways to improve our services at our school."

Fox is in his first year as Conestoga Valley High School principal, but he's not new to the district. From 2016 to 2020, Fox was an assistant principal at Conestoga Valley. He then worked at Garden Spot as an assistant principal before returning to CV as high school principal effective July 1, 2023.

"It wasn't as much of an adjustment for me," said Fox, a resident of Millersville. "From when I left, 80% percent of the staff is still here. There are so many changes going on, but the staff hasn't changed. I think that's something unique. Conestoga Valley is known to have a dedicated staff, so it hasn't been a huge learning curve. It's just been returning and seeing where we are as a school."

Fox noted that one of the few staffing changes is that two of the three assistant principals currently serving under him are also in their first years at CV.

Part of Fox's job is to oversee the efforts and performances of a 100-member professional staff, 78 of whom are teachers. Currently, there are about 1,320 students enrolled at Conestoga Valley High School.

"To me, the purpose of education is to help society and students improve their quality of life," said Fox. "Education is about improving students, giving them skills to live on their own and making their dreams come true. We want to teach them different skills and different ways to think. Education is helping people think and act."

After graduating from Mars Area High School near Pittsburgh, Fox pursued higher education at Millersville University. Fox earned a doctorate from Immaculata University in Chester County.

"I was an assistant principal for eight years, and now I'm a principal," said Fox. "My vision is to be an assistant superintendent. My goal is to do the best job I can and learn the position, and I can do that at Conestoga Valley, then in three to five years become an assistant superintendent."