Students, districts gearing up as school year begins

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Changes abound in local districts as the new school year gets underway.

Some districts have new leadership, while others have implemented new academic programs and services for students.

Here is a roundup of what students and their parents can expect throughout the region.

Bethel Park

Starting this year and continuing through the end of the school year, Black Hawk Drive in front of Bethel Park High School will be closed to all through traffic between the hours of 7 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. when school is in session.

“We’re really trying to increase safety and security,” said Bethel Park Superintendent Joseph Pasquerilla at a recent school board meeting.

The change has been made in conjunction with the Bethel Park Police Department.

Visitors who must come to the high school during the day can enter campus off of Church Road and park in the lot across the street from the high school and enter through the main doors.

The district also is increasing security by expanding its school police force from one school police officer and one school resource officer to four school police officers and one school resource officer. The school police officers are employed solely by the district, and the resource officer is a Bethel Park police officer.

Chartiers Valley

The district has a new intermediate school principal. Julie Franczyk was named principal over the summer and had most recently worked as assistant principal at Bower Hill Elementary School in the Peters Township.

Stephanie Faith will join Ms. Franczyk as assistant principal at the Intermediate School. She had previously worked as