Volunteers needed to help with Fox Chapel Area School District's next comprehensive plan

Fox Chapel Area School District officials are seeking assistance from parents, business owners and other members from its various communities in crafting its next comprehensive plan.

The state Department of Education requires school districts to submit a comprehensive plan every three years.

Fox Chapel Area’s current plan expires at the end of this school year.

The next plan is expected to be submitted to the state by March for review and formal implementation by July 1.

Superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac hopes volunteers from a host of backgrounds and stations will volunteer.

“The district is using that opportunity to try and have input from a whole group of stakeholders so that we can not only complete the requirements that we need to do for the comprehensive plan, but we can also hear from our constituents and figure out what are some things we may wish to focus on as we move forward in the future,” Reljac said.

A steering committee will identify and provide feedback to the district for various areas of focus, and will meet two or three times over the next several months. Meetings will be held virtually and in person.

Anyone interested must be a resident or own a business located within the school district.

Reljac said one of the committee’s tasks will be to create “questions for inquiry” that could be used for future surveys or other methods of public input.

“Those are things that we want to gather more extensive feedback throughout our district,” she said.

That feedback may come in multiple formats, not only through groups that currently exist like parent/teacher organizations or faculty groups. It may also be given through focus groups created during the planning process.

There is no minimum or maximum number of volunteers sought.

“Every person that expresses interest will be asked to contribute throughout the process,” Reljac said. “There’s not a specific number of slots that we need to fill. If we have 30 people that are interested, that is great. If we have 60 people that are interested, that is great. If we have more than that, we will do our best to accommodate all the voices that wish to help us and lend their ideas to our future.”

The district is growing and has the most students since its 2011-12 school year.

Current enrollment was listed at 4,346 students, which an increase from the 2020-21 school year enrollment of 4,107 students.

The district created a strategic vision in its current comprehensive plan with four pillars: purpose, passion, care and community.

Reljac said that vision became a foundation for expanded academic opportunities and authentic learning experiences.

“We are hopeful that there will be more insight that we gain through this process that can help determine what’s important to our community,” Reljac said. “What are things that we are doing that we should strengthen? What are areas that we may need to enhance and how can we make sure our schools are reflective of what the community values and what will be best for our children as we move forward?”

Those interested in participating in the district’s comprehensive planning process should contact Kathleen Anuszek, executive assistant to the superintendent, at 412-967-2413, or kathleen_anuszek@fcasd.edu. Deadline is Oct. 13.