Dec 3, 2015 By Terry Kish 2 min read

Buffy Hasco is the new Upper St. Clair school board president and Angela Petersen is vice-president, following the Dec. 1 board reorganization meeting.

Both Hasco, a four-year board member and vice-president in 2015, and Petersen, a board member for 18 years, were elected unanimously.

Prior to the vote, incumbents Amy Billerbeck, Barbara Bollas and Petersen, as well as newly-elected board members Phillip Elias and Patrick Hewitt, were sworn in by Common Pleas Court Judge Arnold Klein, a township resident.

Elias and his wife, Brooke, have two sons in the district’s schools, and a daughter who graduated from the high school last year. Elias said he was looking forward to working for the district as a board member.

Hewitt said it was nice to be part of a community where education is a priority. Hewitt and his wife, Jennifer, have two daughters in USC schools.

Honored during the meeting for his leadership was outgoing board president Frank Kerber. A seven-year member of the board, Kerber thanked school superintendent Dr. O’Toole and his fellow board members, adding that he “thoroughly enjoyed” working with the board and the administrative team.

The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 14. Among other items, a vote is expected on whether to consider exceeding the Act 1 index in raising taxes. O’Toole explained that the vote would not be binding, but a failure to vote would mean the district cannot exceed the index at budget time.