Cope named new president of New Kensington-Arnold School board

As he prepares to retire from his nearly 50-year teaching career, the new president of the New Kensington-Arnold School Board said he wants to be involved in the district’s schools as much as he can.

“It’s an honor, it’s a duty, it’s a privilege,” John Cope said shortly after taking his seat on the school board and being chosen its president.

“A lot of people voted for change. I’m going to attempt to give it to them,” Cope said.

Cope replaces Robert Pallone as board president. Pallone did not attend the board’s reorganization meeting Monday. Superintendent John Pallone said Robert Pallone, his brother, was out of state on business.

Chelsea Stone also was absent due to a death in her family, John Pallone said.

Cope was chosen as president on a 7-0 vote.

Cope, 70, is a 1967 graduate of Ken High and a lifelong New Kensington resident. He and his wife, Nancy, have three sons who graduated from the district.

He started teaching full time at Lawrenceville Catholic High School before becoming an eighth-grade social studies teacher in New Kensington-Arnold.

After being furloughed from the district, Cope taught at Serra Catholic High School until 1991, when he went to Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. He teaches psychology and sociology to seniors and American history to juniors. He’s retiring at the end of the school year.

Cope’s aunt, Kathryn Cope, had been a teacher and principal at the former Greenwald school in New Kensington.

“This is quite emotional for me today,” he said, recalling his aunt. “I think of her often when I teach. I think of her often when I don’t teach.”

Education will be the first priority of the new board, he said.

“Trust me, your voices are more important than mine,” he said.

One of the first things Cope changed was the meeting dates of the school board starting in January. Saying that attendance at the board’s Thursday meetings has been problematic, the board voted to change regular meetings to the fourth Tuesday of each month, except for November and December when the board will meet on the third Tuesday.

Meetings will still start at 7 p.m. in the board room at Valley High School.

Five new members and one returning member were sworn in Monday to the nine-member school board by Westmoreland County Judge Chris Sherer.

Cope was part of a group of five that ran for school board promising to bring change. He and three others were successful — John DeAntonio, Terry Schrock and Steven Sorch. Also new to the board is Tim Beckes.

Eric Doutt was the only incumbent who returned to the board.

The five board members who left following this year’s election were Kathleen Clarke, Robert Fusia, Kristin O’Sullivan, Wayne Perry and Elyse Williams.

Cope is promising transparency. He wants to air what the board can in public to keep everyone informed.

“Change does not happen in one day,” he said. “Let’s try some new things. Let’s try some new initiatives. There’s just so many ways to skin the education cat.”

In addition to president, the new board members figured prominently in the selection of other board officers and appointments, all on votes of 7-0.

DeAntonio was named vice president and the board’s liaison to the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. DeAntonio and Sorch were named representatives to the Northern Westmoreland Career & Technology Center.

Schrock will be representative to the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit. Beckes was named treasurer from Jan. 1 through June 30.