North Hills School District
| North Hills School District | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania United States |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Motto | Pride, Tradition, Excellence. |
| Grades | K-12 |
| Enrollment | 4,244 (2013–14)[1] |
| • Kindergarten | 352[2] |
| • Grade 1 | 341[3] |
| • Grade 2 | 316[4] |
| • Grade 3 | 297[5] |
| • Grade 4 | 315[6] |
| • Grade 5 | 276[7] |
| • Grade 6 | 256[8] |
| • Grade 7 | 314[9] |
| • Grade 8 | 336[10] |
| • Grade 9 | 402[11] |
| • Grade 10 | 348[12] |
| • Grade 11 | 351[13] |
| • Grade 12 | 340[14] |
| Color(s) | Red & White |
| Budget | $69.74 million[15] |
| Website | http://www.nhsd.net |
The North Hills School District is a public school district in the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It serves an area of 14.6 square miles, including Ross Township, and West View.
Contents
The North Hills School District
The North Hills School District currently enrolls 4,245 students,[16] and employs over 700 people.
The Administrative Staff is as follows:
- Dr. Marilyn J. Cain, Assistant Superintendent, Elementary Education
- Dr. Nicole Bezila, Director of Pupil Services
- Dr. W. David Hall, Director of Finance & Operations
- Dr. Valerie Mengine, Director of Human Resources
- Dr. David Charles, Director of Technology
- Dr. Kevin Swindell, Director of Facilities
- Dr. Amanda S. F. Hartle, Director of Communications & Development
- Jeffrey M. Taylor, Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum, Assessment, & Special Programs
- Johannah M. Vanatta, Assistant Superintendent, Secondary Education
- Patrick J. Mannarino, Superintendent
Current Information about administrative compensation per the Tribune Review.' Three assistant superintendents in the North Hills School District have new contracts with raises and longer terms, despite concerns raised by one school board member. The board Oct. 16 extended contracts for Jeffrey M. Taylor, assistant superintendent for curriculum, assessment and special programs; Marilyn J. Cain, assistant superintendent for elementary education; and Johannah M. Vanatta, assistant superintendent for secondary education. With the new contracts, Taylor's salary will rise from the current $111,800 to $141,930 in July 2019; Vanatta's will increase from $109,300 to $139,110. Cain — who intends to retire at the end of the 2017-18 school year, according to her contract — will see her pay increase from $139,400 to $147,358 during her final year. Over the course of their five-year contracts, Taylor and Vanatta will get 27-percent raises over their current salaries. Cain will see about a 6-percent increase over the three years of her deal. Board member Jeffrey A. Meyer voted against the contracts for Vanatta and Taylor but approved the three-year deal for Cain. He was the only member to vote against the contracts. “I just think the contract is on the rich side of the fence,” he said, adding, “I don't object to anyone trying to better themselves or provide for their family. All I'm saying is enough is enough.” Board member Kathy A. Reid noted that Meyer had missed the discussion of the contracts during executive session, when the meetings are not public. Board member Annette Giovengo Nolish abstained on the contract vote and declined to explain afterwards, calling it a personnel matter. Assistant superintendents from districts of similar size in the county made an average of $127,872 last school year, according to a survey done by the district, North Hills spokeswoman Amanda Hartle said. Cain has worked all of her 47 years in education with North Hills. Taylor has 19 years of education experience, of which eight are in the district. Vanatta has worked six of her 13 years for the district. http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yournorthhills/yournorthhillsmore/6969605-74/contracts-assistant-board#axzz3H6wJCElZ
The teachers signed a contract where teachers at the top of the pay scale, which accounts for about one-third of current teachers, will receive a 1- to 2-percent raise each year, which means that their 5 year contract results in about an overall 10% pay increase which is about 17% less than that of the assistant superintendents who generally have less teaching experience than most of the faculty. http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yournorthhills/yournorthhillsmore/5463830-74/contract-teachers-agreement#axzz3H6wJCElZ
Schools and facilities
Academic achievement
In 2013, North Hills School District was ranked 91st out of 500 Pennsylvania school districts for student academic achievement by the Pittsburgh Business Times, three spots lower than the district's 2012 89th ranking.[17] The ranking is based on three years of student scores on the PSSAs for: reading, mathematics, writing and two years of science.[18]
In 2013, the district was ranked 25th out of 105 western Pennsylvania school districts in a seven-county region by the 'Pittsburgh Business Times.[19] The ranking is based on three years of student scores on the PSSAs for: reading, mathematics, writing and two years of science for 105 districts in the region.[20]
Graduation rate
2011-2012 - 13% [21]
High school
According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 26% of North Hills School District graduates required remediation in mathematics and or reading before they were prepared to take college level courses in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education or community colleges. Many entered college as second-semester sophomores and even juniors.[22]
Teacher Qualifications
As of the 2013-14 academic year, 3 of the teachers in the North Hills School District met or exceeded the national standards for highly qualified teachers, and 98% of the teachers in the district possessed advanced degrees.[23]
Budget
The district administrative costs per pupil in 2008 were $778. The lowest administrative cost per pupil in Pennsylvania was $398.[24]
Libraries
The North Hills School District program emphasizes information literacy and collaboration between teachers and librarians. Each library is staffed with a librarian; and each library actively participates in the AccessPa Power Library Program, which allows students and staff to access quality resources 24 hours a day from home or school. Librarians also provide staff and faculty with in-service training on new information technologies and literacy skills.
Extracurriculars
The district offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports. Eligibility to participa By Pennsylvania law, all K–12 students in the district, including those who attend a private schools, cyber charter schools and charter schools, as well as those who are home-schooled, are eligible to participate in all extracurricular programs, including athletics. They must meet the same eligibility requirements as students enrolled in the district's schools.[25]
Arts
North Hills boasts successful programs in the arts. The drama club has produced both fall plays and spring musicals annually since 1989, and has one of the oldest theater programs of any Allegheny County public school. The district's annual "Arts Alive" program is a favorite community-based activity in May, when student art is displayed and various musical groups perform.
Athletics
Students may choose from among 2 sports at the senior high and 3 at the junior high. North Hills prides itself on its football program. The North Hills Indians' successes include:
- 463 Conference Championships:
- 205 WPIAL Championships:
- 134 PIAA State Championship:
- 96 USA Today National High School Football championship:
North Hills has an intense rivalry with North Allegheny. Their annual football game is scheduled last for each team, and despite season records, it the biggest game of each team's seasons. In 2009, North Hills lost in the regular season matchup, but NH traveled to NA to win in the WPIAL play-offs.
Busing
In the 2013-14 school year, North Hills School District eliminated six to 10 buses in a cost-saving effort to lower transportation costs. The elimination of buses necessitated changes in arrival and dismissal schedules for each district building. The new schedule implemented in the 2013-14 school year is North Hills High School, 7:20 a.m. to 2 p.m.; North Hills Middle School, 7:50 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.; Highcliff Elementary, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; McIntyre Elementary, 9:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.; Ross Elementary, 9:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.; and West View Elementary, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.[26]
References
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- ↑ Pennsylvania College Remediation Report http://www.scribd./doc/23970364/Pennsylvania-College-Remediation-Report
- ↑ North People News, Pittsburgh Post–Gazette
- ↑ Fenton, Jacob. Pennsylvania School District Data: Will School Consolidation Save Money?, The Morning Call, Feb 2009.
- ↑ Home-Schooled, Charter School Children Can Participate in School District Extracurricular Activities, Pennsylvania Office of the Governor Press Release, November 10, 2005
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
