ADMINISTRATION BUILDING 830 OLD CLAIRTON ROAD JEFFERSON HILLS, PA 15025 PHONE 412.655.8450 FAX 412.655.9544 www. wjhsd. net
A MESSAGE FROM
Dr. Janet Sardon
West Jefferson Hills School District Superintendent
AND
Dr. William Henderson, III
West Jefferson Hills School District Assistant Superintendent est Jefferson Hills
WEST JEFFERSON HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
The 2025-2026 school year has begun and the excitement of the new year has led to the anticipation of learning new things, making new friends and creating opportunities for innovation and creativity.
Technology continues to see upgrades within the district. This year, there have been two changes, including the last stage of iPad implementation and WJHSD website upgrades. This year, we are excited to begin the implementation of the final stage of our iPad initiative in Grades 9-12. We have transitioned from Chromebooks, and are looking forward to the innovative educational strategies that will assist students in their learning and critical thinking. In addition to the iPads, the WJHSD website has seen a total overhaul. The changes allow for easier use of the website, integrated calendar and social media features, and ease of use with locating important information for parents.
Personnel is always an integral part of the district. This summer we have worked diligently to hire a number of teaching staff and administrative staff. There are 10 new teachers within the district and one realigned position.
Recently, Dr. Erikka Kuhse was hired as the Director of Curriculum. Her expertise will assist in Grades K-12 with vertical and horizontal curriculum alignment throughout the district. In addition, her background in Science will be an important part of transitioning to the new STEEL science standards. Allison Waldo will be replacing Dr. Kuhse as our TJHS Assistant Principal.
The district continues to see an increase in enrollment, with current enrollment being over 3,550. With this being said, an increase in enrollment of this degree has resulted in the need to upgrade our facilities. The district, over the next four to five years will be embarking on a building project to handle the increases, specifically in Grades 6-8, where there is anticipated the greatest number of student enrollments. In addition, with the new building will come a reconfiguration of our entire K-12 program. This is an exciting time, with more information to come in the future.
The district has worked hard over the past year to make smart financial decisions in preparation for capital projects and additional improvements that will be needed for our future. Our budget has remained in line with expectations and we continue to look to prioritize areas, while providing the sound quality education our students know and deserve. More information surrounding our budget can be found in the coming pages of this section.
Finally, we continue to hold true to our personal and district core values which include:
• Empathy
• Respect
• Integrity
• Fostering Positive Relationships
• Learner Centric Focused
• Personalization / Customization nSystem
Additional information about current projects and programming can be found on the WJHSD five year working plan on the district website.
Safety is the highest priority in the West Jefferson Hills School District. We will be implementing metal detection at PHMS this year, continuing to use our Navigate 360 visitor management and student tracking system, while upgrading our training on Threat Assessment, safety drills, and behavior management.
As always, we value the feedback from our community and welcome any phone calls or emails to help our students and schools reach success. As district administration, we work hard to be visible in the community at events and look forward to continuing the conversations on district growth and achievement as we move forward this year and into the future.
Thank you in advance for supporting our teachers, administrators, schools and community during the 2025-2026 school year. Go Jaguars!
Sincerely,
Dr. Janet Sardon Superintendent
Dr. William Henderson, III Assistant Superintendent
40 WEST JEFFERSON HILLS