A newly-approved Parent Ambassador was among the decisions approved Thursday night. by the Sto-Rox School Board. You can find a complete listing of the meeting agenda here. Read on for updates on district programs and priorities, including several new faces in the classroom and in extracurricular activities:
Jackson speaks to board members at Thursday night’s meeting.
Parent Ambassador
As Sto-Rox completes the first year of its state recovery plan, a greater focus is being put on relations with parents of current students, and parents of students who could come back to the district’s schools from charter or private schools.
Enter Darrell Jackson.
He’s a Sto-Rox father whose two children were students at Propel Montour. But, candidly, “I didn’t like it there,” Jackson told board members. “Other schools, they wait two or three days (to address an issue). They avoid all the questions.”
He said the difference here in Sto-Rox is noticeable.
“They went above and beyond,” said Jackson of the teachers and administrators. He praised staff members who got one of his children involved in Steel City Impact, a district after-school partner. That move helped her find her way onto the honor roll.
It did take some convincing - namely, his wife - to get their kids enrolled. She was a Sto-Rox alumnus, and was apprehensive about sending the children there.
“We looked at private schools, and I said, ‘why not Sto-Rox?’” explained Jackson. “She came to the meetings with me and we agreed.” From Steel City Impact to the extra mile of effort from teachers, it was clear to the Jackson family that Sto-Rox School District was making a positive transition.
“They’re trying to make a difference, they’re trying to make a change,” he said.
Jackson will reach out to parents across the district to make sure they’re aware of all the programs and services the district has to offer, from after-school programs and extracurricular activities, to opportunities for parent and community involvement.
Said Jackson, “I have no problem telling everything about the good things going on here in Sto-Rox.”
Hauser speaks before the school board.
New Principal
The district welcomed a new face, though it’s one people in western Allegheny County education circles are familiar with: Michael Hauser. He will take on the duties of Acting Principal of the Jr./Sr. High School as Dr. Kim Price exits the district.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be invited,” said Hauser, who started his teaching career in 1972. He’s focused on a smooth transition from Price to himself. His top priority and challenge?
“Making sure we are operating effectively, safely,” said Hauser. “Where kids can come and receive a solid education but feel safe and secure as well.”
Hauser knows how to deal with distractions. He was in a leadership role in Moon when the district was going through a multi-million dollar construction project.
“In spite of everything we did out there, kids got a good quality of education,” he explained. Ultimately, this well respected voice in local education is ready to tackle the work that lays ahead.
“I’m ready to get started.”
New Faces In Sto-Rox
The school board approved the hiring of Hauser and several other people on Thursday night. Among the highlights:
London Simmons - Head Track Coach: She currently works with Life Skills students in the Upper Elementary. A former track athlete, she was an assistant with Darrell Anderson at McKeesport Area School District.
Maya Gardner - Assistant Track Coach: A track athlete out of Penn Hills specializing in Discus, she will be Simmons’ assistant coach. A Black woman who is also a thrower is a rarity, said Gardner. She wants to set an example. “It doesn't matter where you look like or where you come from, you can do it too,” she said.
Alexis Zonghetti - 4th Grade Teacher: A graduate of Slippery Rock University, she comes to the district with experience in all kinds of districts: urban, suburban and rural.
Josh McKruit - K-6 STEAM Teacher: Also a graduate of Slippery Rock University. “I just like helping people,” said McKruit. “I feel like I’d be a good addition here”
Loujaue McPherson - Marching Band Director: While he couldn’t attend the board meeting, Dr. Price spoke on his behalf. “He’s coming to us with tons of experience leading bands,” she said. “He had an answer for every question that we asked,” adding that K-12 Music Teacher Suellen Engelhard had a key role in the hiring process. “I think he’s going to be a good team player,” she said, referencing coordination with the football team and cheerleading squad. “I think he’s excited about growing the program.”
Student Representative’s Update
Makayla Borda, the Sto-Rox student representative, spoke about many things happening on and off campus, including a field trip to the Carnegie Museum of Art led by the SADD leadership team. She also pointed out job-related field trips to the 171st Airlift Wing and the Steamfitters training facility and saluted Guidance Counselor Joe Herzing for being honored with NEED’s Education Vanguard Award. She also teased a student-led video about PBIS and the importance of being on time to class. The video will be shared this week.
Vollman addresses the board members.
Old Neighbor Finds New Home
All of a sudden, the Allegheny Intermediate Unit’s (AIU) Sto-Rox Family Center had to find a new home.
“We don’t have the funding to pay a huge increase in rent,” said Lori Vollman, Program Director for AIU’s Early Childhood, Family & Community Services division.” Fortunately, the AIU did not have to look far for a suitable replacement.
The Sto-Rox Family Center will rent space from the district in the former Foster Kindergarten Center along Russellwood Avenue. It’s less than two blocks from Faithbridge Community Church, a place the family center called home for 16 years.
“We think it would be a really good fit, not only with the daycare on the first floor,” said Vollman, referencing the board’s expected approval of Kelly & Nina’s daycare to use part of the same building. “We think it’s a perfect fit for the school district and the community.”
The Sto-Rox Family Center provides critical services for families in Sto-Rox and surrounding areas. It has a wide range of services and resources, including basic needs, child development and early intervention.
““Many of the staff have grown up here in the community, so they know the community, they love the community. They love the kids and families that they all work with,” explained Vollman.
Sto-Rox Family Center currently serves seven Sto-Rox students through its Project ELECT program. It provides assistance to expectant or parenting teens who are working on getting their high school diploma or GED. The family center is also a hub for the AIU’s Fatherhood Program. The program allows fathers to work on becoming the best versions of themselves through a nationally-renown curriculum while provide child care and opportunities for jobs, education and enrichment. Vollman also stressed the importance of working closer with Sto-Rox School Districts and other community partners such as Focus On Renewal (FOR).
“We can pass the baton to FOR,” said Vollman. “We’re going to provide that basic need for the families.”
The school board approved a three-year lease with the AIU for the Foster Building, along with lease agreement renewals for the AIU’s Preschool Early Intervention Program at two Primary Center classrooms.
Odds and Ends
• The board accepted a donation from The Robby Hague Memorial Scholarship Fund Committee for $1,500. The donation will allow the district to purchase an additional automated external defibrillator (AED) in honor of Damar Hamlin, a McKees Rocks native and Buffalo Bills star who is recovering his heart stopped while making a tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals last season.
• The parking lot paving project at Dale and Rosamond Streets will now include lights. Schultheis Electric will install six lights; crews are slated to pave the rocky lot this Spring. Lights will allow the district to stop the practice of turning the football field lights on in the morning for arriving staff
• A request for proposals (RFP) order has been awarded to MHY Family Services for therapeutic support services for students K-12. This is an extension of the district’s current work.
• Teachers Shyanne Rippole, Paula Dugan, and Rebecca Ray will serve as chaperones for the Grand March, which is set for Saturday, May 13 ahead of the Jr./Sr. High School Prom. Stay tuned for more information this great event!
• STEM Coding Lab will provide weekly computer science classes from now through August 10, 2023.
• Mark Turnley of JMA provided an update on the district’s audit, as the district continues work toward its financial health.
• The board also gave a shoutout to the National Honor Society inductees honored Wednesday night, and the Sto-Rox Vikings Baseball team that won its first game since 2017. The Vikings beat Springdale on Monday by a score of 4-3 to snap a 44-game losing streak.
The next school board meeting will take place in April away from school grounds. A combined Agenda Review and Legislative Voting Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 20 at 7:00 p.m. at Meyers Ridge Community Center, 901 Gray Street, McKees Rocks, PA 15136. There will not be a meeting on Thursday, April 27. We hope to see you there!