TM(Advertisement)
Tube City Community Media Inc. is seeking freelance writers to help cover city council, news and feature stories in McKeesport, Duquesne, White Oak and the neighboring communities. High school and college students seeking work experience are encouraged to apply; we are willing to work with students who need credit toward class assignments. Please send cover letter, resume, two writing samples and the name of a reference (an employer, supervisor, teacher, etc. -- not a relative) to tubecitytiger@gmail.com.
Ads start at $1 per day, minimum seven days.
MASD Fills Teacher, Nurse Vacancies
Board president says ‘we didn’t have time to wait’
By Adam Reinherz
The Tube City Almanac
October 31, 2025
Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
(Adam Reinherz photo for Tube City Almanac)
McKeesport Area School Board held a special meeting Thursday to authorize the immediate hiring of several employees, including several teachers and a school nurse.
“We need them to start,” Board President Mark Holtzman Sr. said. “We need those folks in, and we didn't want to have to wait.” If the district hadn’t held a special meeting, the next meeting was scheduled for Dec. 4.
Holtzman said it behooved the district to act now. “Those jobs need to be filled,” he said. “The whole objective is taking care of our kids and educating our kids, so we decided to come out for a special meeting, get those folks hired and get them in place and ready to go.”
According to district records, new personnel include a special education teacher at the high school, a science teacher at the high school, a science teacher at Founders’ Hall Middle School, a school nurse at McClure Elementary School and a permanent day-to-day substitute at the high school.
Holtzman also commented on the hiring of Amy Dellapenna, who was named assistant to the superintendent at the Oct. 9 meeting.
“She's a 25-year veteran in the school district,” Holtzman said. “She is top flight when it comes to curriculum, which is the most important thing in this school district … She’s qualified above and beyond. And we are lucky to have her, and have her in-house.”
Dellapenna replaces outgoing adminstrator Matthew Mols, who has taken a job in Ligonier Valley School District. Mols’ title was assistant superintendent.
Holtzman was hired as assistant to the superintendent, rather than assistant superintendent, in line with past district practices.
“The last three times an assistant superintendent was hired, they were hired as assistant to the superintendent,” he said. “Dr. [Tia] Wanzo was hired that way. Mr. [Matthew] Mols was hired that way, and [Amy Dellapenna] was hired that way.”
The hiring procedure allows individuals without superintendent certification to obtain their requisite credentials, and “it's a good opportunity for them to audition for that assistant superintendent's job,” Holtzman said. “It also gives them an opportunity to see if that's what they really want to do. So I think it's very advantageous to do it that way.”
Holtzman said Dellapenna is in the process of earning the necessary credentials for becoming assistant superintendent. “I understand she will have her letter of commission probably in about six months, and that's not unusual at all.”
Adam Reinherz is a Pittsburgh-based journalist. He can be reached at adam.reinherz@gmail.com.
Originally published October 31, 2025.
In other news:
"Two Wounded in Bar Sh…" ||