A former Palmerton three-sport athlete and experienced high school science teacher is moving from the classroom to an administrative role in the district.

Palmerton Area School District’s board of directors on Tuesday night approved Justin Petersen to a hybrid high school assistant principal/athletic coordinator role at a salary of $92,000.

Petersen, who has taught biology at the high school for nearly a decade, said he sees the new role as an opportunity to expand his leadership and positively impact a broader group of students.

“I feel like I have strong leadership skills and that’s something that I’ve been demonstrating for a while now and I definitely embrace that,” Petersen said. “Petersen emphasized his desire to contribute to the district in new ways. “Not that I don’t cherish my roles that I’m currently in — I love those roles — but I think I can make a big impact, a positive impact, to the entire high school and district as a whole now.”

A 2008 graduate of Palmerton High School, Petersen was a three-sport athlete, competing in football, wrestling, and baseball for the Bombers. During his high school football career, he rushed for 900 yards and scored 18 touchdowns as a fullback. He continued playing the position at Albany University. On the wrestling mat, Petersen compiled an impressive record of 137-22 and has been the head wrestling coach at Palmerton since 2012.

Petersen outlined his main objectives as he steps into the hybrid role of assistant principal and athletic coordinator.

“Building relationships first, advocating for our students in multiple capacities, and doing the best that I can, working as hard as I can to make sure that they’re getting the opportunities that they deserve,” he said.

Given his deep ties to the community, Petersen expressed enthusiasm about leading in a school that shaped him as both a student and educator.

“I care a lot about this community,” he said. “It’s helped make me who I am and I want to give back to that as much as I can.”

Board members expressed confidence in Petersen’s ability to handle the responsibilities of both assistant principal and athletic coordinator, a position that consolidates duties previously handled separately.

“I just want to say congratulations,” director Erin Snyder said. “The school and the kids are very lucky to have you, and I look forward to watching you succeed.”

Kyle Porembo had been the district’s athletic director since 2019. The assistant principal job opened up when Dave Sodl moved to junior high school principal earlier this year.

Board President Earl Paules noted the financial efficiency of Petersen’s appointment, explaining that the dual role saves the district approximately $120,000 compared to hiring two separate individuals.

“In the past, we always had a teacher with a stipend doing the athletic director job,” he said. “So there’s no reason why this should not work.”

Superintendent Angela Friebolin said with Petersen’s hiring officially approved, he will transition into his new role once his current teaching position is filled.