North Allegheny appoints Friez as new superintendent of schools

A veteran Pittsburgh Public Schools administrator hired last year to serve as North Allegheny’s assistant superintendent of secondary education has been appointed to the district’s top leadership position.

The school board on Wednesday evening voted unanimously to appointed Melissa R. Friez as superintendent of schools. Friez’s appointment takes effect on July 1 and is a five-year contract.

In a separate action, the board changed Friez’s current title to deputy superintendent, beginning Nov. 1. She will hold that position until she takes over as superintendent in July. Her salary will be $185,000.

“While much has changed in the year since I joined North Allegheny School District, one thing remains – I’m extremely honored to be part of this great district,” Friez said. “I look forward to working with students, staff, faculty, board, alumni and the broader community.

“The heart of my work will be focused on meeting the needs of our students by cultivating an inclusive school community that guides the district through the challenging times ahead,” she said.

Patrick O’Toole, the district’s acting superintendent, will continue working for the district until June 30. The retired Upper St. Clair school superintendent was hired after superintendent Robert Scherrer resigned in February to become executive director of the Allegheny Intermediate Unit. Scherrer began at that post in July.

The board voted unanimously in July 2019 to hire Friez to replace David Christopher, who left NA to become superintendent for the Cumberland Valley School District in central Pennsylvania.

Friez served as an assistant superintendent of student support services for PPS for five years. Prior to that, she was an assistant superintendent of instructional leadership for the city school system.

Friez also was a principal for nine years, including eight at Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood.

“Dr. Friez personifies the qualities we looked for in selecting a new superintendent,” said school board president Richard McClure. “While our search took us across the region and country, Dr. Friez stood out from the very beginning as a strong, compassionate leader who always places the well-being of students, staff and the larger North Allegheny community at the heart of all she does.”

Friez has a bachelor’s degree in English literature and psychology from the University of Pittsburgh, a master’s degree in secondary English education from Duquesne University and K-12 principal certification from Carlow University.

Friez earned a doctorate in administrative and policy studies and a superintendent’s letter of eligibility from Pitt.