Valley News Dispatch

Highlands hires new high school principal

Tawnya Panizzi
By Tawnya Panizzi
1 Min Read Aug. 19, 2025 | 4 months Ago
Go Ad-Free today

Highlands High School has a new principal.

Patrick Baughman started his new role Tuesday. He will be paid $130,000.

He replaces Mike Toole, who led the high school since May 2023. Toole left the district for a role as principal at Logan Elementary in the East Allegheny School District.

“We are excited to have (Baughman) join the team,” Superintendent Monique Mawhinney said. “He’ll hit the ground running.”

Baughman most recently served as principal at Plum High School, where he was hired in 2023. Prior to that, he served as Deer Lakes High School principal for nearly a decade.

Baughman studied educational administration at Marywood University and special education at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

The board also approved the district’s student handbooks for the 2025-26 school year. They will be available online at goldenrams.com.

The district’s first day of school is Aug. 26.

Share

Tags:

About the Writers

Tawnya Panizzi is a TribLive reporter. She joined the Trib in 1997. She can be reached at tpanizzi@triblive.com.

Push Notifications

Get news alerts first, right in your browser.

Enable Notifications

Content you may have missed

Enjoy TribLIVE, Uninterrupted.

Support our journalism and get an ad-free experience on all your devices.

  • TribLIVE AdFree Monthly

    • Unlimited ad-free articles
    • Pay just $4.99 for your first month
  • TribLIVE AdFree Annually BEST VALUE

    • Unlimited ad-free articles
    • Billed annually, $49.99 for the first year
    • Save 50% on your first year
Get Ad-Free Access Now View other subscription options