Buckwalter leads LMS middle school

Seth Buckwalter, who recently became principal of the Lancaster Mennonite School (LMS) middle school, has experience with LMS going back decades. Buckwalter attended the LMS New Danville Elementary campus in the Southern End as a child, and he went on to attend LMS middle and high school before heading off to college. In 2002, he returned to Lancaster Mennonite High School (LMHS) to teach biology and anatomy and physiology, as well as serve as the basketball coach. Not only has Buckwalter been a student, teacher, coach, and now principal with LMS, he is also a parent - the father of three LMS students, one in sixth grade, one in eighth grade, and one in 10th.

During the 2022-23 school year, Buckwalter spent part of each day working with the principal on administrative duties. The training helped him to segue easily into the current job where he continues to teach a few high school classes. "This is a really unique opportunity because the campuses unified, and last year was our first year all together," remarked Buckwalter. LMS consolidated the Locust Grove and New Danville elementary schools with the LMS middle and high schools on the 95-acre Lincoln Highway East campus in Lancaster in the fall of 2022. "For the middle school, it was a big transition because we were pulling different elementary and middle schools with different philosophies together," said Buckwalter. "The focus is to continue unifying and giving direction so that the middle school figures out what it is (now) compared to the two middle schools that it was. That's a journey."

Buckwalter gave up coaching LMHS boys' basketball following the 2023 season. "Last year, we had a successful year and a lot of fun," he said.

The fact that Buckwalter went into education is remarkable considering that as a high school senior he told his mother he had "absolutely" no interest in teaching. However, by his junior year at Bloomsburg University, Buckwalter was reconsidering that stance. "I was a biology major," he recalled. "I had a semester where I had a bunch of labs, and I really didn't like the labs." At the same time, Buckwalter was tutoring another student, and he found he really enjoyed the experience. As a basketball player, he saw the appeal of coaching. Buckwalter completed his degree and went to work at LMS, later earning a master's from Eastern Mennonite University. Now, when Buckwalter hears a student saying, "I never want to be a teacher," he says, "Don't say that."

When Buckwalter is not at LMS, he enjoys fishing, hiking, and spending time with his family.

LMS has served students in the Lancaster area since 1939. More information about LMS may be found at http://www.lancastermennonite.org.