fox chapel area school district
A MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
Dear Friends,
Collaboration. Teamwork. Perseverance. As I read the stories in
this issue, I observed that our students are learning incredible
things as they plan, design, and collaborate on projects in science,
social studies, art, and technology. But as teachers and students
stated, it takes collaboration, teamwork, perseverance, and tenacity
to get past a problem and find a solution. One student discovered
first-hand when building her “junkbot” for an Earth Day project
at Kerr, “If it doesn’t work, keep trying.” The ultimate project
completion very well may be even better than the original plan!
Persistence and teamwork has resulted in a plan to build a new
Kerr Elementary School on the current school property. District
officials have been working on a plan to upgrade Kerr to bring it
to the same standards as our other three elementary schools.
The oldest building in the district, Kerr has undergone a number
of renovations and construction projects over the years to serve
the changing needs of its students. The multiple additions and renovations served as a good solution at
the time. However, over the past several months it has become clear that it will be more cost effective
to construct a brand-new building. A new school will not only address current needs, but will provide
the potential for exciting learning programs and spaces for our students. It will also ensure that our
students’ education will not be disrupted during an extensive renovation project. The School Board has
approved a plan to build a new Kerr, with construction slated to begin in the spring of 2018.
Please see the full story on page 15.
The district also faces other major ongoing challenges, as does every school district in the
commonwealth. Our state legislators have been aware of these challenges for many years, and these
include, in particular, the method of how funding revenues are generated for school districts and the
state pension system. Although the recent proposal to replace the local property tax with an increase
in a statewide income tax and sales tax is no longer being considered, the pressures to reform funding
sources to pay for the education of our children will continue to be front and center. Solving these
issues will take commitment, perseverance, and continued collaboration on the part of the state and
school districts.
Our own Fox Chapel Area District Forum, an organization of parents and community members who
are interested in the welfare of our students and the future of public education in our district, has
identified several areas of concern that they want the community to be aware of. They have already
hosted two meetings this year to discuss these pertinent issues. In addition to funding for education, the
District Forum also addressed one of the most difficult challenges that public education faces today –
the pension funding. In the 2017-2018 school budget, Fox Chapel Area must contribute $14,762,367
to PSERS, up from $13,486,962 this school year. The district took $2 million from committed fund
balance reserves this school year to pay for this debt, and anticipates taking another $500,000 this
coming school year. Other issues brought up at these meetings included the problems with current
standardized testing and charter and cyber schools. This school year, the district has had to pay more
than $700,000 to six charter schools. Tuitions for charter schools, which must be paid by the local
school districts, are based not on the budgets of the charter schools, but on the cost per pupil from the
school district in which they live!
When I first came to this school district, I was impressed by the educational excellence that meets the
high expectations of its residents. It is this high expectation and involvement of the community that
continues to drive us to provide the best education possible for our students. I hope that our residents
will continue to be aware of and involved in issues that impact public education. Once again, I thank
you for your collaboration and your continued support.
Sincerely,
Gene Freeman, Ed.D.
Fox Chapel Area | Summer 2017 | icmags.com 9