The Sto-Rox School Board met last Thursday for its final meeting of August - and the final meeting before Sto-Rox students head back to school. Read on for a brief recap of the meeting and click here for the complete agenda.
Dr. O’Toole reports to the board.
Recovery Plan Update
Dr. Patrick O’Toole made a presentation to the board on Thursday night on the state recovery plan that Sto-Rox is currently working through. The district is in the second year of its plan, and O’Toole said while the district has made great progress, it’s time to amend the plan based on the district’s positive performance.
“It’s a good time to look at it,” he said. O’Toole also mentioned tax increases - two in the last two years - and said to the board, “you’ve done your part. I know that’s painful, but it does two things: It provides revenue for the district to be self-sustaining, helps in showing PDE (Pennsylvania Department of Education) that we are doing our part as a district, not just relying on federal and state sources (of income).”
“I know we’re working against a lot of variables,” he mentioned, “including the charter school funding mechanism.” O’Toole went on to say that the district is now making up for investments that weren’t previously made, such as the HVAC replacement in the Upper Elementary and upcoming roof projects.
Ultimately, O’Toole praised both the board and Superintendent Megan Van Fossan for their hard work and leadership as they juggle the educational and financial needs of the district.
Young holds her certificate of recognition.
Board Member Honored
I’m grateful beyond words, and I thank you all,” said a tearful Lucille Young as she accepted an eight-year service award from the Pennsylvania School Board Association. Her tears were tears of joy, but also pain, reflective of tough times for her and the district.
“I’m grateful to have been able to be there for the length of time that I’ve been here. It has not been easy. But it’s been very rewarding. It kept me (going) through some difficult personal times. There were times that this was all I had to look forward to.”
She said of her time on the board, “You learn how to stand when you don’t think you can. You think about something bigger than yourself, to push you. That helped me.”
Young closed with a message to her fellow board members and the district community at large.
“I just hope the commitment is there for everybody who chooses to sit at this table. Because it’s going to take that and then some.”
Young speaks with Davis during the meeting.
New Faces
Asia Davis, a new assistant principal for the Jr./Sr. High School, was introduced to the board as she was brought onto the district’s administrative team. She will work closely with Principal Raelyn Day and fellow Assistant Principal Hope Schreiber, along with Administrative Advisor Mike Hauser.
“I am elated to be here, I am very grateful to be here and to do this work,” she said. “I know with the staff I already see that this is work, and I’m pulling up my sleeves and I’m ready for it.”
Davis comes to the district from Pittsburgh Public Schools, where she spent the last six years. A native of the North Side, her resume includes a stint at Propel Schools and work with local non-profit groups. Personally, she has a husband and five children who, she says, are fully behind her in this role.
“Thank you so much for having me and trusting me to do this work,” she said, adding, “I’m committed, I’m here.”
Several board members praised her resume. Board Member Alice Cooper offered words of advice and encouragement.
“It’s hard. But please, hang in there. Our children need someone like you,” she to Davis, who is one of the few - but growing - number of African-American staff members. “As Miss Lucille (Young) would say, ‘you do you.
Hairston speaks before the board.
The board also met Trevaughn Hairston, who is the Head Coach of the Middle School Football Team. But that’s not the main reason he was there. Hairston is now a building substitute for the district. For Hairston, it’s been a slow but fulfilling journey into Sto-Rox - starting with a stint as a DJ for Tech 25, a non-profit organization that prepares children and adults for careers in the live event production and broadcast industries.
“We did a lunch…and we came in with a DJ station and a photographer and had the kids testing the DJ equipment, making beats on the iPad,” he explained. “Ever since that encounter with the school, the students and the staff, it’s been wonderful.”
The Indiana University of Pennsylvania graduate has been a youth football coach since 2015. While he resisted the middle school job at first, he relented, saying “everything happens for a reason.” He also volunteers his time on the West Side of Pittsburgh, which drew a chuckle from a few board members who bleed green and white.
“You know, I’m for the kids - if it has something to do with the kids, I don’t discriminate.”
Now Hairston is taking the next step in his career as a substitute teacher.
“Once the opportunity arose, my vision got humongous. So now I could see stuff more clearly,” he explained. “If it was meant for me to do, I’m going to do it.”
With that, he excused himself - not to go home - but to wrap up practice with his middle-schoolers, who may soon call him “teacher” - along with “coach.”
Odds and Ends
The board voted down the application of Michael Vattimo to the school board. The Region 1 (McKees Rocks) seat remains unfilled along with a seat in Region 2 (Stowe Township). Click here for information on how to apply for the vacant board seat(s).
The board approved the hiring of Erica Taylor as Coordinator of Auxiliary Services, a new term for the position previously held by the departing Tina Nagel. Taylor was the district’s Central Registrar, and the district is moving swiftly to fill that role as Taylor moves to her new office. Taylor is a busy person - she is also an assistant coach for the Girls Basketball and Softball teams for this coming school year.
The district also approved partnerships with Boys & Girls Club for after school programming, the “Bigs in Blue” program from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh and an affiliation agreement with PennWest University (the former California University of Pennsylvania, Clarion University and Edinboro University).
Next Meeting
The district’s next meeting, an agenda review meeting, will take place on Thursday, September 21, followed by the legislative voting meeting on Thursday, September 28. Meetings start at 7:00 p.m. at the Jr./Sr. High School unless otherwise noted.