There’s a new buzz at Butler Catholic School that will no doubt be noticed by teachers and students when the first bell rings this fall.

John Hazur began his duties as principal at Butler Catholic on July 5, following the retirement of Sister John Ann Mulhern, who served in the position for 20 years.

Unlike Sister John Ann, Hazur is a lay principal, but his roots are deep in Catholicism.

Hazur worked as a Catholic educator for 13 years prior to his hire as principal at Butler Catholic.

After completing his bachelor’s degree in education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Hazur ran into his sixth-grade teacher from St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Verona, Allegheny County, who told him she was retiring.

Hazur told her he was looking for a job, and was asked to interview at “St. Joe’s” three weeks later. One week after that, he was offered the position.

He called working at his elementary alma mater bittersweet.

“Ninety percent of the staff were the ladies who taught me,” Hazur said. “I was the only male on staff.”

The women insisted he address them by their first names instead of Miss or Mrs., as they were now peers.

“I couldn’t do it,” Hazur said.

After nine years at St. Joseph, the school merged with St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Plum.

While half of each school’s staff was laid off in the merger, Hazur remained a faculty member and moved to the merged school in Plum.

“I was fortunate to keep my job,” he said.

Hazur’s next move was the current one, to the principal’s office at Butler Catholic.

“This is my first opportunity to move into an administrative role, which has always been my goal,” he said.

Matt McCune, a member of the principal search committee and a parent of Butler Catholic students, said Hazur’s experience teaching and enthusiasm for the new role made him stand out among the handful of other candidates for the job.

“The thing that stood out to me really quickly was his energy and enthusiasm for Catholic education, teaching, educating kids,” McCune said. “He seems very confident in his enthusiasm and willingness and desire to teach those kids.”

Hazur, 33, earned his master’s degree and principal certificate at California University of Pennsylvania while working as a teacher.

He graduated from Riverview Senior High School in Oakmont in 2008.

Hazur’s age, energy and love for Catholic education adds a vigor to the halls at Butler Catholic.

“I’m a first-time administrator, and I’ll bring energy, passion and an enthusiastic approach to Butler Catholic School that I hope creates a fun, engaging academic environment,” he said. “I want the kids to have fun, because when there’s fun, there’s a good learning environment.”

Hazur also looks forward to working with Butler Catholic’s teachers, who he calls “amazing.”

“They are a high-level group of educators who are all very qualified in their roles,” he said. “I’m very much looking forward to working with everyone here to prepare for students returning in four weeks.”

McCune, too, said Hazur expressed interest in feeling out the school’s environment and then basing his actions on what would be best for the institution.

“He's going to cast a wide net, and from there come up with some bullet points,” McCune said.

Hazur has two main goals for Butler Catholic in his new job.

“Number one is to continue the academic excellence that Butler Catholic has provided to all students who have passed through its doors,” he said.

The second is to prepare the school for the future, as education is always evolving.

“Modern Catholic educators have to adapt to those changes,” Hazur said. “I want to set Butler Catholic School up for continued success.”

Hazur said families who choose a Catholic school education for their children will notice a distinct academic advantage in the smaller class sizes they will experience.

Butler Catholic, which educates students in kindergarten through eighth grade, has an average class size of 16 students.

“That allows students to get that extra assistance with education to prepare them for all the skills they are learning,” Hazur said, “and to have that setting creates a class family environment.”

Hazur has been married for 6 years to his wife, Jessica. The couple have a 2-year-old daughter, Sophia.

They live in Verona.

“I can’t wait for the students to return, for the staff to be here and for us to have a fun-filled, successful school year,” Hazur said.