More than 530 combined years of service of professional employees at North Allegheny School District were approved for retirement by the North Allegheny School Board on Feb. 26.
Adding on two more employees who retired mid-year increased that number to more than 590 years of service, according to board director Leslie Britton Dozier.
The longest-running employee up for retirement on the list was Kelly Holden, a second-grade teacher at Hosack Elementary with 37 years.
“When I was a little girl, all I ever did was play school in our family’s game room. I can’t remember a time that I didn’t want to be a teacher,” Holden said. “It has been an honor to be a part of the North Allegheny community all these years. I have had the pleasure of working with so many talented, dedicated and caring colleagues at Hosack Elementary School. While textbooks and curriculum may have changed since I began teaching, the opportunity to share the school day with students continues to be fun and rewarding.”
Noted Britton Dozier: “Many of these professionals have an excess of 20 years of working with our students. I know our students have directly benefited from having these professionals leading them from their academic career.”
The list also includes three paraprofessionals with a combined 47 years of service. And lead custodian Edward Frobe who will retire after 25 years.
The retirements are effective June 9, the last day of school.
Carson Corona, a senior and school board student representative, recognized all staff, and particularly Christine Mangan, a French teacher at the intermediate school who will retire after 24 years.
“We all have that teacher who really stood out to us and was more than a teacher but more as a mentor and someone you could go to and that was my teacher,” he said.
Board President Elizabeth Warner shared some of the good experiences her children have had with district employees, including paraprofessional Maria Magee who is retiring after 15 years at Carson Middle School. Warner noted people like Magee are examples of “how staff, regardless of their positions, has such an impact on our students.”
Marijane Treacy, director for human resources at North Allegheny, said the district already is working on staffing for the 2025-26 school year. The retirements will reflect a good number of positions that will need to be filled, she noted.
“We would love to fill those with talented individuals,” she said.
Positions are advertised on the district’s website at northallegheny.org and can be accessed by selecting the Careers link under Our District on the home page.
The next school board meeting March 12 will feature a report on the district’s Health Services Program and the updated social studies curriculum. Meetings are held at the Central Administrative Offices on 200 Hillvue Lane in McCandless.
