At the District’s May 21st Board of Education meeting, current Assistant Superintendent Ms. Alicia D. Koster was officially appointed as the next Superintendent of Schools for the Greater Johnstown School District, effective August 10. She will succeed Dr. William Crankshaw, who has served as GJSD Superintendent since 2020 and will retire on August 9.
Following her appointment, Ms. Koster’s first recommendation to the Board was to name longtime JHS Principal Scott Hale as the District’s next Assistant Superintendent. Hale was also officially appointed to his new position at the May 21st board meeting. He will take over Assistant Superintendent responsibilities for the District on August 10.
“Recommending Mr. Hale for this position was the first critical step to building the new leadership team at Johnstown,” said Ms. Koster. “His institutional knowledge and longevity in the District will play an integral part in ensuring continuity and consistency in this upcoming period of leadership transition. I am thrilled to have him by my side as we work to sustain the District’s momentum and continue Johnstown’s positive trajectory toward excellence.”
Hale has served as Principal of Johnstown High School for nearly a decade. During his tenure, he has led transformational improvement of graduation rates from mid-70% to a sustained 90+% over five consecutive years through strategic initiatives and data-driven decision making. Hale and his team were recognized by the White House for their efforts to tackle chronic absenteeism. Through initiatives such as launching a teacher-student mentorship program, a strengthened commitment to relationship-building, and strategically utilizing the District’s School Resource Officer, Hale’s team achieved a 20% improvement in student attendance at JHS.
In May, 2025, Mr. Hale was honored by SAANYS (School Administrators Association of New York State) as an Excelsior Award Winner, a recognition of outstanding dedication and professionalism in the field of education.
In addition to being an administrator in Johnstown, Hale simultaneously holds District-wide leadership roles, including Title IX Officer for the District and School District Safety Team Leader. He is also the president of the Johnstown Administration Association.
Prior to his appointment as JHS Principal, Hale taught physical education and simultaneously served as the school’s Assistant Principal for two years (2013-2015).
Hale is very involved with many different community organizations, including coaching youth basketball and football, along with AAU basketball. He also participates in the Johnstown Community Coalition through the HFM Prevention Council. He is the recipient of the Mishael Boyer Award, recognizing him as a distinguished community member who raises self-esteem in Johnstown youth, and of the Johnstown City-Wide Award, honoring him for exemplary leadership and community service.
He earned his school leadership certifications from The College of St. Rose. He holds a Master of Science in Education from the University of New England and a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from SUNY Cortland. Mr. Hale is an alumnus of Johnstown High School. He and his wife Amy have two sons, Drew and EJ, who currently attend GJSD.