Penn Hills High School opens doors to charter school enrollees after building fails to open in time

Penn Hills High School will see an increase in enrollment of about 30 ninth and 10th grade students, with possibly more, this school year because Dominus High School is unable to open as scheduled.

The district announced Wednesday on social media that it will be hosting an open house on Sept. 4 to enable the township’s students who would have attended Dominus to explore the high school.

Starting at 6:30 p.m., interested families can tour the school and speak with administrators. Superintendent John Mozzocio said student chaperones will be on hand to give tours and answer questions. Registrars will be on-site if families decide to enroll students at the high school.

Dinner also will be available to attendees.

Dominus High School, a start-up entrepreneurial academy in Wilkins with ties to the Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship, was supposed to open to students this fall with the goal of 250 ninth and 10th grade students, according to a previous TribLive report.

According to Lynn Cooper, communications consultant for Dominus High School, construction financing and approval timelines created a delay, causing the building not to be ready for in-person classes.

According to Mozzocio, the Penn Hills School District became aware on Aug. 27 of Dominus being unable to offer classes to students this academic year.

Dominus is chartered through the Woodland Hills School District.

As a result of the delays, Dominus leadership proposed virtual learning as an alternative to in-person classes.

“Our students and their families have always been at the heart of Dominus, and that will never change. Earlier this week, the Woodland Hills School Board did not approve our request to begin virtual learning until we were able to transition to in-person learning.” a statement from the school said. “As a result, Dominus High School will not open this fall as planned. We share the disappointment felt by our students, families and our community.”

Woodland Hills School Board members held a special voting meeting Aug. 26 to discuss whether they would edit the charter agreement to allow Dominus to host virtual classes for the 2025-26 academic year.

According to motions and voting notes on the district’s BoardDocs, the motion failed in a 4-4 vote.

Board members Tamara Allen-Thomas, Doneika Griffin, Sara Raszewski and Darnika Reed voted in favor of the motion. Laura Arthrell, Mike Belmonte, Karen Lyons and Terri Lawson voted against the motion. Melanie Timbers was absent from the meeting.

The Woodland Hills School District explained the decision in a statement to TribLive.

“After careful consideration, the Woodland Hills School District Board of Directors declined to approve Dominus High School’s request to shift to virtual instruction for the 2025-26 school year.

“District administration and board members expressed concern that the plan does not align with the scope of the original charter application, which focuses on entrepreneurial educational experiences.

“We understand this decision may be upsetting to families who planned to attend Dominus. Woodland Hills administrators will work with those families who live within the district’s boundaries to preserve their educational opportunities, including expediting enrollment at Woodland Hills High School.”

The statement from Dominus High School assured the public that the school is still planned to open for the 2026-27 school year.

“This is a delay, not the end. Pittsburgh is a city built on resilience, and so is our community. Our immediate focus is ensuring families have the clarity and support they need right now, including school transitions, uniform returns and continued engagement opportunities,” the statement said.

“To that end, we are developing plans to keep students, parents, and faculty inspired and connected until our doors officially open. In 2026, Dominus will open with the preparation, strength, and commitment our families have entrusted to us.”

The school’s leadership is reaching out to parents and families directly to assist with uniform reimbursements and to provide any updates regarding the school.

Mozzocio and other administrators from the Penn Hills School District began reaching out to the families of about 65 students residing in Penn Hills to let them know the district would gladly accept the students.

He said about 30 students enrolled at Penn Hills because of the outreach.

During some phone calls, Mozzocio said, he and his administrators were the ones breaking the news about Dominus.

“Parents were surprised. Some were angry,” Mozzocio said. “We knew that was going to be the case so we just welcomed them to come back to Penn Hills High School. … We want them to start off the new school year on a good note and not be in flux.”

Mozzocio said his administration is prepared to make accommodations for students who enroll in the district.

Classes at the high school began Aug. 19.

“We’re here,” he said. “We understand the situation, and we’re here to help.”