School Board makes new year changes

New officers elected

Patrick Romito, Staff Writer

January 20, 2026

Bethel Park’s school board kicked off the new year with its annual reorganization meeting.

The meeting marked a fresh start for the district, featuring new leadership, the swearing-in of a new board member, and important schedule announcements.

Notably, Buffie Faes has been named president of the school board, while Christina Headley was elected vice president.

Alongside Colleen Sokira, all the new members were officially sworn in by Judge Ron Arnoni.

In addition to the leadership changes, the board announced a return to its traditional meeting schedule.

Regular sessions will be held on the third and fourth Tuesdays of most months. This marks a shift from the previous schedule of the second and third Tuesdays.

The re-seated board also reappointed Weiss Burkardt Krameras as the district’s solicitor and announced its preliminary 2026 meeting calendar, which remains subject to change.

2026’s preliminary schedule goes as follows:

Jan. 20 (Committee), 27 (Regular)
Feb. 17 (Committee), 24 (Regular)
Mar. 17 (Committee), 24 (Regular)
April 21 (Committee), 28 (Regular)
May 26 (Combined Committee/Regular)
June 16 (Committee), 23 (Regular)
July – N/A
Aug. 18 (Committee), 25 (Regular)
Sep. 15 (Committee), 22 (Regular)
Oct. 20 (Committee), 27 (Regular)
Nov. 17 (Combined Committee/Regular)
Dec. 1 (Reorganization), 15 (Combined Committee/Regular)

July does not feature any scheduled meetings, as this provides a summer break.

All meetings start at 7 p.m. and are held in the Dr. Thomas A. Knight Memorial Community Room located within the Bethel Park Administration Building.

These meetings are accessible to the public through a live stream on the school district’s YouTube channel.

If a special meeting is called, a notice will be posted on the door of the district administration building and advertised in the newspaper.

Information regarding special meetings can be found by calling Anthony Piscioneri at 412-854-8425 or by emailing him here.

Nonetheless, the Bethel Park School Board’s recent reorganization signals a bright future for the district in 2026.

Bethel Park

About the Contributor

Patrick Romito, Staff Writer

BREAKING NEWS! Patrick Romito is back at it again, writing for the school’s newspaper at 7:30 a.m. When he’s not punching the keys, he’s practicing roleplay for DECA and running up and down the soccer field. Patrick does it all! Patrick is a second-year student in Scholastic Publications. Last year, he crafted 145 articles during the school year. One of his main focuses in Scholastic Publications is to continue to write stories for our school’s online newspaper and to publish 180 articles, beating our school’s record of 172! When asked why he joined Scholastic Publications, he said, “I’ve always enjoyed writing, and this class offers just that.” Balancing school and clubs, Patrick plays travel soccer for the team Sporting BP, competes for the varsity boys soccer team, and works as a lifeguard at Highpoint Fitness! Patrick is a fourth-year member of our school’s DECA club. One of his biggest accomplishments is making it to States in Hershey, Pa, qualifying second for the Sports Management roleplay! After high school, Patrick wishes to travel to Italy and pursue a career in Marketing and Advertising. Patrick describes himself as composed, compassionate, and driven—traits poised for success academically and beyond. Stay tuned for Patrick’s insightful work in Hawk Eye as he tackles the challenges of scholastic journalism! Written by: Carly Conroy, Staff Writer