Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Barbara Bolas, who served as vice president of the board in 2012, is now president.
The Upper St. Clair School Board Monday night elected Barbara Bolas as its new president and Louis Mafrice as its vice president. Both votes were unanimous. Bolas said she has a she has a renewed motivation to improve and maintain high quality public education after recently becoming a grandmother again. Superintendent Patrick O'Toole recognized the 2012 board President Rebecca Stern for her leadership and went over some of the year's highlights, including renegotiating teacher contracts, converting Streams Elementary to all IB, restructuring the administration staff and undergoing two audits—local and state—with no findings. The next board meeting is Monday, Dec. 10. Follow us on Twitter | Like us on Facebook
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
A narrow majority of the Upper St. Clair School Board opts for a rate that could result in no increase for 2013-14.
You might recall the old commercials advertising Fram Oil Filters. You'll remember the catchphrase: “You can pay me now, or pay me later.” Upper St. Clair School Board, or at least a slim majority of board members, has opted for the former. By a 5-4 vote Monday, the board approved an amendment to the proposed 2012-13 operating budget, calling for a 1.618-mill property tax increase. The tentative version of the spending plan provided for an additional 1.375 mills. The revised figure brings the tax rate to 25.718. For owners of property valued at $200,000, the increase means an extra $323.60 on the tax bill. Frosina Cordisco, district director of business and finance, presented the numbers in the proposed budget for the board’s consideration…
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Monday, June 25, 2012
Upper St. Clair School Board upped the figure from the preliminary budget, hoping to hold the line next year.
The Upper St. Clair School district tax increase is larger than expected. A 1.618-mill increase was approved by the school board Monday. The preliminary 2012-13 budget called for an additional 1.375 mills. School board member Angela Petersen motioned to amend the figure. The measure was defeated 5-4, but board vice president Barbara Bolas called for another vote. She cast her ballot to in favor the second time around, joining Petersen, board president Rebecca Stern, Amy Billerbeck and Frank Kerber. Voting against were Buffy Hasco, Harry Kunselman, Louis Mafrice Jr. and Louis Oliverio. Petersen’s rationale was that implementing a larger increase this year could allow the district to hold the line on taxes for 2013-14. The 1.618-mill figure …
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Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The move will give the board 'maximum amount of flexibility' come June.
The Upper St. Clair School Board passed a preliminary budget Monday night for the 2012-13 school year, which includes a 1.647-mill tax increase and the elimination of nine professional and five support staff positions. A 1.647-mill tax is equivalent to $329 per $200,000 of assessed value. The vote was 7-2. School Directors Louis Oliverio and Louis Mafrice voted against passing the budget. They said they aren't comfortable with such a large tax increase. "I believe a budget is a budget," Oliverio said. "In order for me to vote yes, I need to be comfortable with it." "I believe that this proposed budget falls short of serving members of the community," Mafrice said. "I look at it differently," board member Amy Billerbeck said. "There's one …
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Louis Angelo, assistant principal of Upper St. Clair High School, is now in the running for the national honor.
Upper St. Clair High School's assistant principal, Louis Angelo, was chosen as the 2012 Assistant Principal of the Year by the Pennsylvania Association of Elementary and Secondary School Principals. "I'm really excited about it; I'm very honored," Angelo said. Angelo started his career as an English teacher at Upper St. Clair High School. Five years later, he left the district to become the athletic director for the Baldwin-Whitehall School District. While athletic director, Angelo started a captains' breakfast, in which the sport teams' captains would meet during the season to talk about leadership and mental toughness. Various speakers would join the breakfast meetings, following the theme Angelo created: "Learning How to Win in the Game…
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Upper St. Clair School District's Superintendent, Patrick O'Toole, is the 2012 Pennsylvania Superintendent of the Year, selected by the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators.
Patrick O'Toole, Upper St. Clair School District's superintendent, was named 2012 Pennsylvania Superintendent of the Year by the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators. Sharon Suritsky, assistant to the superintendent for curriculum and instruction and supervisor of special education, announced the award at the school board meeting on Monday night. "This is a huge honor and recognition," she said. Suritsky nominated O'Toole for the award in a "rigorous process that started six months ago." According to a news release, Suritsky included examples of O'Toole's administrative reorganization plan to foster a K-12 perspective for programing and creating an intensive, year-long leadership training program for his administrative team. …
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The superintendent also gave an update on the rifle range at the high school.
The Upper St. Clair School Board appointed a new president and vice president Monday night. 2011-12 School Board Vice President Rebecca Stern will now serve as president. School Director Barbara Bolas was voted to become vice president. Superintendent Patrick O'Toole thanked Harry Kunselman for his time served as president for the past year and went over a long list of district accomplishments. Highlights included the middle school renovation projects, creating a director of advancement position, two bond refinancing opportunities, a wage agreement with Upper St. Clair School District support staff, new district policies, technology investments and a new district tagline. In addition, Judge Arnold Klein, an Upper St. Clair resident, swore …
Thursday, November 17, 2011
John Bornyas, director of operations, community relations and special projects, gave a middle school renovations update to the school board.
John Bornyas, director of operations, community relations and special projects, gave a middle school renovations update to the Upper St. Clair School Board on Monday night. Barbara Bolas, a school director, said she had been hearing from residents that a lot of work still isn't complete at Boyce Middle School. Dr. Bornyas assured her and the other board members that 92 percent of the work is complete. He said the gym floor has been a cause of the delay and he hopes the floor can be finished in November. Dr. Bornyas also said the construction wrap-up will be evident once crews finish Boyce Middle's front facade. Boyce Middle School: Construction in October 2011: •Completed gymnasium wall and ceiling patching •Completed gymnasium ceiling …
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Taxes could rise by .82 mills.
Frustrated and worried looks appeared on the faces of the Upper St. Clair school directors on Monday night as Superintendent Patrick O'Toole presented 2012-13 preliminary budget data. Pennsylvania law will only allow the school board to raise taxes by .33 mills—less than what the district was anticipating in October. As operating now, that would be the equivalent to a nearly $2.8 million budget deficit. If the school board makes a preliminary budget available to the public by Jan. 5, they can apply for an exception that could allow the district to raise taxes by up to .82 mills. However, the district would still be facing a $1.5 million shortfall by raising taxes by .82 mills alone. One of the district's challenges is fulfilling its PSERS …
Monday, November 7, 2011
Five school board candidates are running unopposed in Tuesday's election.
There are five open Upper St. Clair School Board seats this year and five candidates are running unopposed. Louis Oliverio is the only new candidate running for school board. The other four candidates are incumbents. Upper St. Clair Patch caught up with each candidate to hear their thoughts on the most important issues in the Upper St. Clair School District. On possibly making Streams Elementary an all-IB school Billerbeck said the board is in the middle of the process and she still needs more information. "I don't have any pre-conceived notions," Billerbeck said. "I've always been a strong IB supporter...I'm going to look at the demand for IB, how it affects the overall budget...and how it will affect home values in Upper St. Clair." On …
bob balmer
8:33 pm on Sunday, December 9, 2012
I have no ideal why "School Board Director For Life" would not give you the courtesy of a response! more ›