An Orwigsburg native who spent more than two decades teaching in the Schuylkill Haven Area School District is the new principal of St. Joseph Center for Special Learning.
The Diocese of Allentown announced Tuesday that Elisabeth Hughes will lead the Schuylkill Haven center, which serves children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
As principal, Hughes will be the center’s chief executive and educational leader, overseeing its school-age program and its Adult Program. She succeeds Bob Giba, who became principal in 2019.
Hughes taught first grade and later third grade in the Schuylkill Haven district before working as a Title I reading specialist from 2014 to 2024. In that job, she and other Title I teachers developed an Orton-Gillingham curriculum for kindergarten and second grade. Since January 2025, she has been a reading interventionist in the Blue Mountain School District.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Elizabethtown College, a master’s degree in education from Alvernia University, and a reading specialist certificate from Wilkes University. She is certified in special education and in the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading instruction, and is trained in Science of Reading methods.
“Elisabeth Hughes has spent her career helping students with diverse learning needs, and she brings deep expertise in literacy and a background in special education,” said Dr. Michael St. Pierre, Superintendent of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Allentown. “Her student-centered approach is an excellent fit for St. Joseph Center’s mission of helping each student reach their maximum potential in a Christ-centered environment.”
Hughes grew up in Orwigsburg as a member of St. Ambrose Parish in Schuylkill Haven. The parish’s former elementary school is now home to St. Joseph Center. She lives in Schuylkill Haven with her husband and son and is a parishioner of St. Mary Parish in Hamburg.
“Growing up in the Catholic faith helped shape the person I am today,” she said. “It taught me the value of a person and the love that we must have for one another.”
“St. Joseph Center has always held a special place in my heart,” Hughes said. For several years, she has followed a friend’s family through their time at the center and seen the difference it has made in their lives.
“I felt a calling to be a part of this incredible place as more than just someone on the outside looking in,” she said. “This opportunity was truly a gift from God.”
In her first year, Hughes said she wants to get to know the center’s teachers, staff, students, adults, and families, and build connections with the surrounding community.
“Having a small school means having a sense of family and community, and I want to immerse myself in all that comes with being a member of this family,” she said.
Sponsored by the diocese’s Office of Education, St. Joseph Center offers academic, social, religious, and pre-vocational instruction for students ages 5 to 21 with intellectual and developmental disabilities from Schuylkill and surrounding counties. Its Adult Program is a state-licensed Community Habilitation Program for people 18 and older. More information is available at stjosephctr.com.
From a press release
SCHOOL NEWS: Attention Schuylkill County schools … If you have news about your students, teachers, and administrators, or want to promote upcoming events or highlight recent accomplishments, share them with Coal Region Canary readers. Email newscanary@gmail.com with the information.
Subscribe to Coal Region Canary
Get email updates from Coal Region Canary by becoming a subscriber today. Just enter your email address below to get started!Support Coal Region Canary
Like our reporting and want to support truly local news in Schuylkill County? Your small donations help. For as little as $5, your contribution will allow us to cover more news that directly affects you. Consider donating today by hitting the big yellow button below ...