Recent North Allegheny retirees combine for 670-plus years of district employment

District employees with a combined 670-plus years of service gained approval for retirement at North Allegheny School Board’s Feb. 21 meeting.

Requests for staff resignations, retirements and appointments are part of the regular monthly human resources report during board meetings. The latest round of requests was just for the month of February.

“The total years of service for retirements in this agenda is 672 years, including 457 years for teachers, 95 years for paraprofessionals, 95 years for the transportation department and 25 years for confidential employees,” said school board director Leslie Britton Dozier.

Employees retiring in February with the longest tenures at North Allegheny include Beth Maeillo, a first-grade teacher at McKnight Elementary, 37 years; bus driver Mary Kozminski, 36 years; fifth-grade McKnight teacher Kelly Stewart, 36 years; and McKnight third-grade teacher Sherri Hinkson with 35.

Eight additional retirements were listed for employees with 30 or more years experience in the district, plus nine with 20 or more years, and six ranging from seven to 16 years.

Almost all of the resignations will take effect by the conclusion of the current school year or end of summer.

In addition to reporting on retirees at the school board meeting, human resources manager Marijane Treacy presented a midyear HR staffing report based on the first day of the second semester. Noting that staff is constantly fluctuating, she said the report is “a snapshot in time.”

The department had a particular focus this past year on recruiting bus drivers.

“We have been successful,” Treacy said, despite recent changes in staffing. “We had nine new hires but seven retirees. We‘re still hiring, and we’re still training for free.”

She noted a much-needed special education teacher was hired for the district this past year, but said there still was a need for 10 paraprofessionals as of Feb. 1.

“We are still a destination employer in the area,” Treacy said about the school district. “We’re hard at work getting ready, even for next school year.”

The kickoff recruitment for staffing for 2024-25 begins in April, she said.