The Sto-Rox School Board meeting on Thursday night brought new arrivals to the district, and one heartbreaking departure. Read on for the latest news and notes from the district’s meetings for November. CLICK HERE for a recap of all the business that took place during the meeting on November 17.
Shawn Evans Resigns
“Thank you for everybody on this board, for giving me a vote of confidence to be here, even though it was for a short time.”
So began Shawn Evans’ farewell speech. The most recent addition to the board resigned Thursday night, following the death of his son, Gage, on October 24.
“I just want people to know this (resigning) is something I did not want to do,” he said. “I came in here wanting to do a lot of good.”
Gage was a ninth-grader in the Sto-Rox School District. While he battled health issues, his father said he was always selfless. He asked those who remain in the district to think of Gage.
“Every time they make a decision, think of it in a selfless way.”
Related: School Board Vacancy For Region 3 (At-Large)
Student Representative
Thursday night saw the introduction of a student representative to the board. Makayla Borda, a sophomore, is taking on the role.
“We wanted to bring in a student rep who is not a senior because we wanted to build our student voice from the ground up,” said Jr./Sr. High School Principal Kim Price. “One of the things that we want to do is share what the school looks like from your eyes.”
Borda went on to deliver a rundown of happenings in the district so far, specifically in the Jr./Sr. High School. She referenced the feeling of safety with the new security guards roaming the halls, several in-school and after-school programs, and events like Girls of Steel visiting recently.
New Staff Introductions
Deontae Givens: A former Sto-Rox student, 20, from McKees Rocks. He will join the district as a paraprofessional: “I just want to help the community and help kids who have the same upbringing as me.”
Sheila Reed: She’ll be the new Assistant Principal of Grades 4-6. “It’s exciting to be here,” she said as she introduced herself. Married with two children, one of whom is a soon-to-be graduate of Slippery Rock University, the other a registered nurse. “I have a passion for education and our students and what they can achieve. Post-Covid, we have challenges, but nothing we can’t overcome.”
Will Cross: Assistant Principal of Grades 7-9. He’s been in education since 1990, but took about 10 years off to travel the world and climb. He said he came back, “because he missed the challenge of teenagers.”
Raylynn Day: A North Hills native, she will be the Assistant Principal for Grades 10-12. She started her career in Maryland, outside Washington, D.C., but soon returned to the region and was most recently in Pittsburgh Public Schools. Married with two daughters - both in the seventh’s grade. “I’m excited to join the administration team, and to learn from your teachers and your students,” she said.
Straight-A Recognition
15 students from across the district were recognized for achieving straight-A’s. “They are the best we have to offer,” said Price.
Steel City Impact
Tyra Grant, Executive Director, presented information to the board about her group and its work with students. Steel City Impact has run an after-school program at Sto-Rox Jr./Sr. High School. Grant said it looks at the “holistic needs” of each student and is “incentive-based.” She added that helps to get children out of a sense of entitlement. Field trips are earned, including Friday’s private screening of “Wakanda Forever,” and a future trip to Washington, D.C. to a series of museums and Howard University.
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November 10, 2022 Agenda Review Meeting
During last week’s agenda review meeting of the school board, several items that were also on the November 17 meeting docket were discussed.
Budget Review
Joel Martin of JMA gave an update on the district’s finances, and they appear to be trending in a positive direction.
“We are cleaning up,” said Martin. ”The building is built and it’s ready to be moved into.”
Most critically, the district made a net gain of about $6.2 million. That means, provisionally, that the district is $300,000 in the black. That’s after being nearly $6 million in the red over the past few years. Still, Martin and Business Manager Paul Sroka said pragmatism is the order of the day.
“This has to be taken with a grain of salt,” said Martin. He added that the district can submit its AFR (Annual Financial Report) by the November 30 deadline. “You guys (the board) have absolutely executed bare minimum, we’re good at producing financial reports,” Martin said. But he stressed the board needs to execute when it comes to the budget process. Added Sroka, it comes down to “navigating expenditures,” and passing budgets that don’t have deficits.
CLICK HERE for a rundown of the agenda for the November 10 school board meeting.