Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Six members of Upper St. Clair High School’s spring musical and two of their instructors were honored Monday night by the school board.
Six members of Upper St. Clair High School’s spring musical and two of their instructors were honored Monday night by the school board. The members, all seniors, sang the National Anthem to begin the meeting and then each was recognized for his and her work on this year’s musical, “Anything Goes.” Jillian Vlah, Grace Trocano, Becca DeGregorio, Nick Sembrat, Jon Wang and Luke Graci accepted certificates and were given a chance to speak about their roles. School Director Louis Oliverio congratulated the group on their outstanding work. “Believe it or not–I didn’t have a singing role–but I was in my senior class high school musical,” Oliverio said. “I know it’s a ton of work. Congratulations to all of you. I know you and your families and …
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Players gathered at the high school this week.
The Upper St. Clair School Board and district administrators honored the high school's boys' soccer team on Monday night. The team won the PIAA championship in November. "We couldn't win the section, couldn't win WPIALs, so we thought we might as well win the state championship," joked head coach Uwe Schneider, a German teacher at Boyce Middle School. The Panthers beat Wilson High School 1-0, after losing in the state championship game last year. "They played the best game of the season and these guys really deserved to be state champs," said Schneider, who is now the coach of three state championship team. Superintendent Patrick O'Toole and school board President Barbara Bolas presented each player with a certificate and cafeteria gift …
Monday, December 10, 2012
The three-year contract includes a pay increase in 2013-14 and 2014-15.
The Upper St. Clair School District and the union representing about 180 employees have agreed on a three-year collective bargaining agreement. The school board voted 8-0 on Monday night to approve the contract. The Upper St. Clair Special Service Federation represents custodians, maintenance workers, mechanics, secretaries, aides and nutrition center employees. The union members voted to approve the agreement on Saturday, Dec. 8. Details of the contract include a wage freeze in the 2012-13 school year and increases in 2013-14 and 2014-15 of 20 cents per hour for all members except teacher aides who will receive increases of $.25 per hour in each of the two years. This represents an average annual wage increase of about 1 percent in years …
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
The proposal would raise taxes by 1.375 to 25.475 mills.
In a 7-1 vote, the Upper St. Clair School Board voted for a proposed final budget that would raise taxes by 1.375 mills, with a total millage of 25.475 mills. That is a 5.7 percent tax increase and equivalent to an extra $275 in taxes per $200,000 assessed home value. The proposal would bring in more than $1,376,000 in surplus that school board members said they could set aside to help fund the Public School Employees' Retirement System obligation for the 2013-14 school year, which is projected to be nearly $5.3 million. School Director Louis Oliverio was the only member who voted against the proposed budget. "I'm opposed to a budget surplus. We should leave the tax dollars with our constituents for another year," Oliverio said. He said he…
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Upper St. Clair School District is planning to file for an Act 1 exception. If granted, the district could raise taxes higher than the property tax cap.
The preliminary 2012-13 budget for the Upper St. Clair School District shows a $2.7 million shortfall. Superintendent Patrick O'Toole shared the numbers in a presentation with the school board on Monday night. He called the outlook "sobering." Under Pennsylvania's Act 1 of 2006, school boards are limited in how high they can raise real estate taxes. Dr. O'Toole said next year, Act 1 will allow the school board to raise taxes by 1.7 percent or .41 mils. If the school board chooses to raise taxes, the amount raised would be $670,000—not enough to cover the $2.7 million shortfall. A new law passed this summer allows Pennsylvania school districts to apply for an Act 1 exception if the districts can show they need to raise taxes because of …
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Dr. Ruth Ann Matyuf retired in August and was recognized at Monday night's school board meeting.
The Upper St. Clair School Board recognized Dr. Ruth Ann Matyuf for her 18 years of employment with the district. She retired on Aug. 19. Dr. Matyuf was hired by the district on Sept. 13, 1993. She began her career in Upper St. Clair at the middle school level, then worked at the high school level and ended her career as principal of Baker Elementary. "The most difficult part of it for me to to leave the children behind," Dr. Matyuf said. She said she plans to keep in touch with children by volunteering with the IOCC, at church and with Children's Hospital. Dr. Matyuf and her husband also plan to travel. Dr. O'Toole said he first met Dr. Matyuf in the mid-1990s as they both were finishing their dissertation. He joked that Dr. Matyuf …
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
The school board voted on Monday night to authorize the administration to prepare a recommendation for target dates for decisions regarding the possibility of making Streams Elementary an all IB school.
The Upper St. Clair School Board unanimously voted Monday to authorize the administration to prepare a recommendation for target dates for decisions regarding the possibility of making Streams Elementary an all IB school. Superintendent Patrick O'Toole said he would like the decision to come in January, when district curriculum recommendations are normally made. The International Baccalaureate Organization is mandating that the district designate one elementary school entirely to the Primary Years Program, which is the IB program designed for students grades one through four. Streams Elementary is the school that would become all IB if the district decides to keep the PYP program. Students enrolled in the traditional program would attend …
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Pennsylvania School Boards Association presented Barbara Bolas with a plaque on Monday night.
The Pennsylvania School Boards Association honored Barbara Bolas for her 24 years on the Upper St. Clair School Board. Marianne Neel, the president of the PSBA, presented Bolas with a plaque during Monday's school board meeting. "Public education is under fire more than ever before," Neel said, "And we need more school directors like Barbara." "It's refreshing to have you in the room with your perspective," Harry Kunselman, president of the school board, said to Bolas. "You always say 'Let's talk about the affect this will have on the students.' You have a way of bringing us back to what's really important." "We hope there are 24 more years of service," Superintendent Patrick O'Toole said. Bolas said she was pleased and honored to accept …
Friday, August 12, 2011
School board approved plan to decrease staffing on Monday.
The Upper St. Clair School Board approved the administration's plan to decrease staffing on Monday night. The 2011-12 will begin with one less English teacher at the high school; one less secondary math teacher that would teach at the high school and Fort Couch Middle School; one less resource teacher at Boyce Middle School; three fewer elementary teachers; and three less teacher aides. In addition, one guidance counselor position is suspended for one year. The three teacher aides were furloughed. Other positions were not filled after retirements. Sharon Suritsky, assistant to the superintendent for curriculum and instruction/supervisor of special education, said the district worked to "realign the use of teachers at the schools" so the …
Friday, June 3, 2011
There are location and date changes for the next two school board meetings.
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Friday, June 3, 2011
There are two changes for the next two Upper St. Clair School Board meetings. The committee of the whole meeting scheduled for Monday, June 13 at 7 p.m. will be held in the Upper St. Clair High School's LGI room instead of the district's central office board room in the municipal building. The regular school board meeting originally scheduled for Monday, June 27 is rescheduled to Monday, June 20. The meeting will be held in the central office board room in the municipal building on McLaughlin Run Road. The school directors are expected to review the final budget on June 13. A final budget adoption is expected to take place on June 20. Click here to read Patch's latest report on the school budget proposal.
Laura Whitcomb
7:24 am on Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Wow, 30 years...congrats to you, Mr. Fox, and to all of you! more ›