3680 OLD OAKDALE ROAD MCDONALD, PENNSYLVANIA 15057
PHONE 412 / 221.4542 FAX 724 / 693.0490 www. southfayette. org
Dear South Fayette Township School District Families and Community Members, outh Fayette
SOUTH FAYETTE TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
Dr. Ken Lockette
Superintendent of Schools
The South Fayette Township School District did not slow down during the summer months and instead was busy with activities. In support of improving education in the region, the District hosted 130 educators from across the region and from out of state for the South Fayette STEAM Summer Institute, graciously supported by the Grable Foundation. Additionally, the District offered the Advanced Placement( AP) Institute to a record number of educators. We also had the Extended School Year Program, STEAM Camp, and various summer athletic and other extracurricular activities for our students that commenced throughout the summer.
This summer the South Fayette Township School District leadership team went into operational planning mode. The team spent one day at the BNY Mellon Innovation Center and began discussions on the“ Future of Work,” relating this to what the“ Portrait of a Graduate” should be; that is, identifying the knowledge and skills our students need to navigate the changing global landscape of work. On the second day of our operational planning session, we discussed creating a culture of safety by reviewing and revising our emergency plans and procedures, including evacuation and family reunification and multiple types of emergency training. At the end of the two days, we collaboratively created our 2018-2019 Operational Theme to be“ Small World, Big Future” to reflect the future of work and global competency.
On June 26, 2018, the South Fayette Township Board of Directors approved the 2018-2019 final budget. It is important to note that we will NOT be raising taxes for a second consecutive year. The new budget includes funding for new teaching positions to address growth and added security measures. The Board also approved lunch price increases, which will be published on our website and in this issue of InCommunity magazine.
As we head into the 2018-2019 school year, there are a few changes of note.
1. ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES: At the time of printing, the District was in process of hiring a new assistant superintendent with the focus on secondary education. These changes will give us curricular expertise on the elementary and secondary levels and will better support our operational plan to prepare students for the“ Future of Work.” Another administrative change is that
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Dr. Laura Hartzell, Associate High School Principal, has been made Co-High School Principal with Mr. Aaron Skrbin.
2. SAFETY AND SECURITY: The District has made large investments in increasing safety and security measures on campus. Physical enhancements have been made, cameras have been added and updated, safety training has taken place and will continue, a threat assessment team is being formed, mental health training will increase, and additional security personnel will be added for the fall. An active shooter drill with first responders will take place on October 8, a“ No School Day” for students, and the campus will be shut down for the duration of the training exercise. Additionally, South Fayette is bringing in a professor from the University of Virginia to train our threat assessment team. This individual created the threat assessment program for Virginia, which is required of every school district in that state. There is legislation in the Pennsylvania state house to do the same. We are also updating evacuation and safety plans for each building.
3. COMMUNICATIONS: The District will be transitioning to a new website this fall in order to meet ADA requirements and our growing communication needs. We are also looking at other means to improve our communication with the school community including working with a local communications firm.
4. STRATEGIC PLANNING: The District’ s comprehensive plan for the Pennsylvania Department of Education is due this fall. In preparation for this, we will be following the comprehensive strategic planning process outlined by the state. However, we will be exploring this process in a deeper and more meaningful way to best meet the unique vision and needs of our South Fayette community. During this process we will include multiple stakeholders to help advance our mission, vision and action plans that will guide the District for the next four years.
As we enter the fall school year, we are excited to provide authentic learning experiences for our students, as well as provide opportunities to deepen their curiosity as we prepare them for a“ Small World, Big Future.”
My warmest regards,