State College Area High School will soon welcome a new school resource officer as a longtime member of the State College Police Department prepares to retire.
Officer John Aston, a 30-year veteran of the department, is retiring on Feb. 28. Officer Matt Hertlein has been selected as the high school’s new resource officer, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education Jonathan Bucher said at Monday’s school board meeting.
Hertlein, a 2007 graduate of Lock Haven University with a degree in criminal justice, joined the the State College Police Department as a patrol officer in 2022 and completed National Association of School Resource Officers training to become a certified SRO in 2024. He previously served a corrections officer at the Centre County Correctional Facility, a case manager at The Geo Group immigration detention center and a Centre County juvenile probation officer, a position in which he “worked extensively in the State College, Bald Eagle, and Philipsburg-Osceola Area School Districts,” Bucher wrote in a memo included in the board meeting agenda.
He was selected for the SRO position by the police department after an interview process that included representatives from the school district. SCASD’s SROs are State College Police Department officers, with the district reimbursing the borough for up to 75% of their salaries and benefits.
Hertlein is shadowing Aston at the high school until taking over the position at the end of February.
“We’re looking forward to that transition there and we very much want to make sure we recognize officer Aston’s dedication to our district and service to us as he transitions into other adventures,” Bucher said.
Aston has been the State High SRO since 2018. He joined the State College Police Department in 1995 after graduating from Penn State and the police academy. He was promoted to detective in 2003 and became the Centre County’s foremost expert on digital forensics, working with local, state and federal agencies on investigations.
In 2019, he was honored with the inaugural Centre County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award, sharing the award with former Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Jeffrey Ebeck.
Aston said at the time that he was initially unsure about applying for the SRO position, but after spending years as a juvenile detective, his colleagues and families told him he would be a good fit. He came to realize that he could apply the skills he developed in his career to help keep the high school community safe and to educate students, staff and families.
“As a parent I wanted to be able to say I feel secure with the person that’s in that school,” he said in 2019. “When that position opened up I thought I would be a good fit for that, to give parents and staff the assurance that I am there each and every day and my top priority is the security and safety of the school.”
Bucher wrote that Aston has gone “far beyond his primary duty of protecting our students and staff,” and embodies the “true spirit” of a school resource officer.
“His impact on our district cannot be measured solely in terms of safety and security,” Bucher wrote. “Officer Aston has become a trusted mentor to students, a respected leader among staff, and a cherished colleague to many. His dedication to building meaningful relationships within our school community has created a legacy that will endure long after his retirement.
“While his departure will be deeply felt, we celebrate Officer Aston’s service and wish him the very best in his next chapter.”
School board President Amy Bader said she is hopeful for a transition similar to when Aston first started in the position.
“John will certainly be very missed,” Bader said. “I recall when Gretchen [Brandt] and I came on the board was right around when Terry Steck was the long-term high school SRO, also very beloved and well known in the community, and there was a lot of anxiety about him leaving and what was it going to be like. When Officer Aston came in everybody found themselves delighted, so I’m hopeful will have a similar situation when Officer Hertlein comes in.”
