USC welcomes new chief of school police
Sean Bryson will become the Upper St. Clair School District’s new chief of school police, succeeding Joe Conners, who is set to retire in June. The school board appointed Bryson to the position during its May 7 meeting.
For Bryson, an Upper St. Clair High School graduate, the move is a nice homecoming after serving with the Arlington County Police Department in Virginia for the past 20 years. Bryson was visibly moved by his hiring and thanked the board for their confidence in him.
“As the parent of a rising second grader, I truly understand and empathize with concerns over school safety,” he said. “I pledge to do everything in my power to lessen those concerns.”
Bryson currently serves as a sergeant at his department, where he supervises and trains a staff of 23 officers. His service also includes experience as a school resource officer as well as extensive work in criminal investigations as a detective.
“Sean is a great addition to our school safety and security team,” Superintendent Patrick O’Toole said. “His experience and training in law enforcement coupled with his strong ties to the Upper St. Clair community will be helpful as we continuously assess and enhance our school safety practices and procedures.”
A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in administration of justice, Bryson will join the Upper St. Clair staff May 29 as the temporary assistant school district chief of police until Conners’ official retirement June 14.
During the same meeting, the board school district administrators provided an update on the district’s proposed 2018-19 general fund budget.
The district’s revenues are budgeted at $83,605,284, while expenditures are budgeted to be $83,626,867, leaving a shortfall of $21,583. The budget calls for a 0.7043-mill increase, raising the total millage to 25.8603 mills. For homeowners, the increase equals an additional $70.43 annually for every $100,000 in assessed value.
One mill is currently valued at $2,133,475, compared to last year, when one mill was valued at $2,086,925. The assessed tax base grew approximately $47 million since the last school year and is expected to continue to grow over the next three years.
Approval of the proposed budget is set for May 21. A final budget update is scheduled for June 4, and the board is expected to vote on the 2018-19 final budget June 20.