Plum hires Ashley DeVito as middle school assistant principal

The Plum School Board hired a new assistant principal for the district’s middle school.

Ashley DeVito is coming to Plum from Propel Braddock Hills High School, where she was an assistant principal.

DeVito, 31, of Penn Hills will start at Plum upon release from her position there. Her salary was set at $92,000.

DeVito replaces Scott Lazzaro, who in March became an assistant principal at Plum High School.

DeVito has a background in special education and middle school science, Superintendent Rick Walsh said. She will work under middle school Principal Adam Szarmach, who was an assistant high school principal in Plum before moving to the middle school last year.

“We look forward to her joining our team,” Walsh said.

DeVito said the interview process for her new job was “very extensive.”

“While going through the process, one thing really stuck out to me — every teacher, every administrator, every staff and faculty member from every department that I interacted with, they all echoed the same sentiment, they were really proud to work in the Plum Borough School District and they were so excited about what the future stores,” she said. “I am just so very honored for the opportunity to be a part of that future.”

A Penn Hills graduate, DeVito earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood and special education and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Edinboro University. She earned a doctorate of education in leadership and administration from Point Park University.

DeVito was recently hired as a girls soccer coach at Norwin, which she said she will continue to do. She played at Penn Hills and coached her alma mater’s girls team for seven seasons.