North Hills School District
Pride • Tradition • Excellence
The North Hills School District Board of Education voted 6-2 to approve the school district’s proposed final budget for the 2020-21 school year during its Committee Meeting with Action Thursday night. The meeting was held virtually via Zoom amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deanna Philpott and Kathy Reid were the two dissenting votes. Dr. Annette Giovengo Nolish did not attend.

As proposed, the budget has revenues and expenditures of $83.7 million. It does not include a tax increase keeping the real estate tax rate at 18.65 mills for the 2020-21 school year. more >>
"Due to the extreme financial difficulties faced by many at this time because of COVID-19 we are supporting a budget without a tax increase. The reality is we are forced to make these decisions with limited information about what next year looks like. However, we are committed to doing the best we can for the entire North Hills community, for our schools and for the residents of West View and Ross Township." -- NHSD Board of Education President Allison Mathis
Budget Breakdown
The spending plan does not cut any programs or curriculum. Instead, it forces the district to take a pause in some areas where it was hoped to fill vacancies or add positions. This includes:

  • Limited exceptions to the school board’s class size policy that will allow class sizes in certain K-3 classrooms to increase by two students. Based on current enrollment, this would impact two classrooms with the potential to impact up to eight. There will be 97 K-5 classrooms across the district next year so the elementary class impact is less than 10 percent.
  • Elementary Assistant Principal Dr. Jessica Sapsara will be relocated to North Hills Middle School. She will replace Mrs. Mary Grimm who has elected to return to the classroom as a sixth grade teacher. Mrs. Grimm’s decision was made prior to the COVID-19 crisis. NHSD will not be hiring a second assistant principal for the middle school as it had hoped, and Dr. Sapsara will not be replaced at the elementary level next year.
  • NHSD will not be hiring another school social worker or psychologist as hoped.
  • NHSD has two school nurses retiring this school year. Only one of those nurses will be replaced. This, however, we will not affect coverage in our schools’ nursing offices.
Improvements amid COVID-19 pandemic
The proposed final budget also includes adjustments to improve the health and safety of everyone in the district particularly in regards to COVID-19. 

  • NHSD will be expanding it’s 1:1 iPad initiative Project Connect to include all students in grades K-12 next school year. Over the summer, the district’s technology team will replace its entire fleet of iPads in a critical move to ensure all students have access to a device if the district should need to take on some form of virtual instruction next year. It will also eliminate the passing of germs when students share classroom devices.
  • All water fountains in district buildings and at Martorelli Stadium will be replaced with water bottle refill stations as part of an ongoing initiative across all facilities and operations to improve health, hygiene and safety, and reduce the spread of germs.
Public Review & Opportunities for Feedback
The budget will be now be on public display for more than the required 30 days by the state before a final vote on June 11.

There are several opportunities to provide feedback with the first being the Public Budget Committee Meeting set for May 14. The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom at 7 p.m. Community members can ask questions or comment on the proposed budget. Those who wish to attend must register using this link.

Additionally, the budget will be discussed at the May 21 and June 4 Board of Education meetings

The final approval of the 2020-21 final budget is slated for the June 11 Legislative Meeting.

The approved final budget is due to the state by June 30. No deadlines have been extended.
Additional Announcements
Personal Items, iPads and Book Collection
We will be collecting district-issued iPads, textbooks and library books during the first week of June. Students will also be allowed back into their building to retrieve personal items that might have been left in lockers during this time. Details are forthcoming. In the meantime, we assure you that your items are safe and all lockers will remain as they were on March 12.

Families who wish to keep their district-issued iPad can do so by purchasing the device for $100. Details and instructions for doing so will be released in the coming weeks. Please note: Purchased iPads will be wiped of all district-owned apps. This includes the Self Service app. Families will have to download all apps using a personal Apple ID as they would if they purchased a new, personal iPad. 
Graduation and End-of-year Celebrations
Celebrations online and on social media begin today for the Class of 2020. We are also planning a cap and gown and yearbook distribution, and we’ll be releasing details as soon as possible. 

We’re also asking that the senior class please SAVE THE DATE of Saturday, May 30 for a variation of graduation that could take place at Martorelli Stadium. We will release details as soon final plans are made.

We’ve also been working with our parent organizations and have begun discussing ways we can honor our fifth-, sixth- and eighth-graders this summer, assuming it’s safe to do so.
Upcoming Meetings
May 14
Public Budget Committee Meeting
Zoom Webinar, 7 p.m.

May 21
Legislative Meeting
Middle School LGI Room, 7 p.m.

June 4
Committee Meeting with Action
Middle School LGI Room, 7 p.m.

June 11
Legislative Meeting
(Adoption of the Final Budget, Taxes and Homestead Exemption)
Middle School LGI Room, 7 p.m.

July 23
Committee Meeting with Action
Middle School LGI Room, 7 p.m.
Meet your 2020 NHSD Board of Education
The North Hills School District Board of Education is comprised of nine members who are elected to four-year terms. In January, we celebrated School Director Recognition Month by introducing our board members with the video below. You can also meet them here.
Contact the School Board
All school board correspondence should be directed to Secretary Lori Rieger and she will disseminate to board members. Mrs. Rieger can by reached by mail, email, phone or fax:

North Hills School District Administration Center
135 Sixth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15229
Phone: 412-318-1004
Fax: 412-318-1084
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