Shaler Area accepts business manager's resignation, arranges high school leadership

The Shaler Area School District will be looking for a new business manager.

The school board accepted the resignation of Jennifer Tressler, director of finance and operations, at its Aug. 13 meeting. It is effective Sept. 24.

Tressler is leaving Shaler for the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, where she will start Sept. 29 as assistant director of finance and comptroller.

Superintendent Bryan O’Black said the district will begin a search for a new finance and operations director and will appoint an interim director if necessary.

Shaler Area hired Tressler in December, with a start date of Feb. 2. She replaced Sherri Jaffee, who retired after eight years.

Tressler, a certified public accountant, previously served as the chief financial officer and board treasurer for the Duquesne City School District and previously worked for the Quaker Valley School District as assistant director of finance.

High school leadership

The board also approved a number of personnel moves affecting the leadership of Shaler Area High School.

The board accepted the resignation of Assistant Principal Thomas Misko, effective July 31. Misko became principal of Moon Area High School on Aug. 1.

Before serving at Shaler Area, Misko’s more than 20-year education career included teaching high school math at West Allegheny and DuBois Area. He had completed an administrative internship at Moon’s J.A. Allard Elementary School.

The board approved a sabbatical for Principal Timothy Royall, beginning Aug. 1. He is expected to return on or about Dec. 16.

Royall had taken a leave of absence for the 2024-25 school year, O’Black said.

JoAnne Townsend will continue to serve as interim high school principal, as she had done for the 2024-25 school year, until Royall returns in December.

Townsend has been with Shaler Area for 20 years, mostly as assistant principal at the high school and as interim principal of the former Jeffery Primary School.

Venice Piveronas and Joseph Merhaut were approved as interim assistant principals at the high school.

Piveronas’ appointment was effective July 9 and will last until Townsend returns as assistant high school principal. Merhaut’s appointment was effective Aug. 13 and will last until a replacement is found for Misko.

Piveronas worked for Shaler Area for 19 years, including serving as assistant principal of Shaler Area Elementary School, until retiring at the end of the 2023-24 school year. She most recently served as interim principal of Scott Primary School in the spring.

Merhaut was an interim assistant principal for the 2024-25 school year, supporting Townsend and Misko. Merhaut was Shaler Area’s interim director of student services in fall 2023, director of special education for the Duquesne City School District and high school principal for the Hampton School District.

The board also accepted the resignation of Eloise Milligan, coordinator of academic services, effective June 30. She left Shaler Area for the Duquesne City School District, where she began in July as director of curriculum, instruction and assessment and English learner coordinator.

Shaler Area students return to classes Aug. 19.