Vera Schwartz (nee Groober) is Principal Hickey's Secretary at Hazelnut Middle School, and is known for her extremely husky voice and odd old lady-ish charm. Vera is usually responsible for announcing school related news over the loudspeaker, which showcases her unique and dry sense of humor.
Vera has an interesting talent in scatting/beat poetry that is showcased at the environmental talent show that Pepper Ann helps plan in "The Environ-Mentals".
Not much is known about Vera's personal life. She doesn't seem to currently have a husband, but we learn in "Spice of Life" that she was apparently married at one point because she has a different last name than her mother. It seems probable that she is a widow.
Her age is never directly stated, though in "Psychic Moose" she says that she's "only two years away from her pension", implying that she's likely somewhere around 63 years of age.
Despite her somewhat gruff exterior, Vera is shown to have a very pleasant side as well. One of her most notable appearances was in "Spice of Life", when her mother, Old Lady Groober, passed away and she had the idea of asking Pepper Ann to give a eulogy at the memorial service because Old Lady Groober had admired Pepper Ann for her spunk after she stopped by Old Lady Groober's house every year to sell fundraiser items despite the fact that she never bought a single thing from her.
Pepper Ann ends up spending an afternoon with Vera on the porch of Old Lady Groober's house surrounded by cats as Vera tells her story after story of Old Lady Groober antics in order to help her with the eulogy. This shows that Vera is quite fond of Pepper Ann, as she trusts her with something quite important and special.