Pasquerilla to start at Bethel Park in April

The first day of work for Bethel Park School District’s new superintendent will be April 18.
The school board approved a five-year contract with Dr. Joseph Pasquerilla at the meeting Feb. 23. Last month, the board hired Pasquerilla, who has been superintendent at Northgate School District since 2012.
He will replace Nancy Aloi Rose, who will retire at the end of the school year. His starting salary will be $152,500 a year and the contract will run through April 17, 2021.
Pasquerilla, 35, started his career as a social studies teacher in the West Middlesex School District. He also worked as principal at Northway Elementary School in the North Hills and as curriculum director at Ambridge School District.
When Pasquerilla starts his new job, he will have a chance to recommend whether or not the school district should proceed with plans for a kindergarten center. In the meantime though, district officials will stop studying the issue.
“We will postpone the kindergarten center study until the new superintendent gets a chance to review it,” Aloi Rose said.
The district was exploring the idea of converting William Penn Elementary School to a kindergarten-only center. First through fourth graders would have been distributed to the other four elementary schools. Administrators said they would need at least a year to look at the different factors.
Administrators said the center might allow the district to offer full day kindergarten to more students and implement more effective intervention techniques for special needs students.
Several parents voiced concerns about longer bus runs, upsetting the continuity of a traditional K-4 school, the difficulty in organizing a parent-teacher organization for a kindergarten center and other logistical issues.
In another matter, the board asked its investment banker at PNC Bank to begin the process of refinancing 2009 bonds, which the board floated to pay for the construction of the new high school. Mike Zubasic of PNC Bank said interest rates are favorable and refinancing now could yield a savings of about $860,000 to $6 million, depending on how much of the $81.38 million debt the board decides to refinance.
To see the full $6 million savings, the board would have to refinance the entire amount, but Zubasic said it might be advisable to focus only on part of debt, in case interest rates dip even lower.
“Of course, the rates could go higher too,” Zubasic said.
Bethel Park will pay PNC Bank $12,000 to $33,000, based on how much is refinanced, to prepare the necessary paperwork and draft a proposal. Once that is complete, the board will make a decision on how much of the debt should be replaced with new bonds.
The board originally borrowed about $94.29 million to build the high school. The debt is scheduled to be fully repaid in about 18 years.
The board also:
• Approved the purchase of new artificial turf at the high school from Field Turf for $369,031.93. The field is about 10 years old and its surface is due to be replaced. The district has been saving a bit every year to pay for the field replacement.
• Discussed the purchase of a new sign at the entrance of the high school. The school’s parent-teacher organization donated $6,000 to pay for part of the cost and the district also received an inheritance from an alumnus for $250,000, which should be more than enough to cover the sign’s total cost, which is estimated at $70,000. The board will likely take action on the matter next month.
• Accepted resignations from Joseph Rozman, director of human resources and Lisa Machado, gifted support teacher at Neil Armstrong; as well as the retirements of Lorean Mulher, second grade teacher at Franklin and Robert Pasquantonio, special education teacher at the high school.
• Hired Rachel Adler, speech and language teacher at William Penn.