Brownsville Area School District recognized as ‘Good Choice’ district
Brownsville Area School District has been recently recognized in the nation with a designation for its efforts in various categories.
The School Superintendents Association (AASA) and the Successful Practices Network (SPN) has designated the Brownsville Area School District with a Light House “Good Choice” school district.
Brownsville Area School District Superintendent Dr. Keith Hartbauer said this is the first time the district has earned such a designation.
“By being chosen as a ‘Good Choice’ district means that we have programs, processes and procedures in place that correlate with AASA’s restructuring of school systems that are student-centered, equity focused and future driven,” he said.
Hartbauer added that the programs and procedures in the school changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We realized that education will never be the same,” he said. “We needed to be forward thinking in our approach to education and meeting the students where they are socially, emotionally and cognitively as they returned to school.”
He said the recognition was based on multiple projects that were implemented in their district schools.
Those projects included Students in Action, Future Ready Center, their Diversity and Equity Initiative, the Portals Project and Scholar Council.
Also, throughout the last few years, there have been student-led teams, clubs and plans that have produced an amphitheater in downtown Brownsville, a Teen Space at the Brownsville Public Library, a Future Ready Center in school building and a portals project embedded through a high school course.
He said the diversity and equity initiatives as well as a scholar council is a way to give students an outlet to voice their needs and plan together with administrators, teachers and the community.
Brownsville Area School District was also invited to have a learning team consisting of Hartbauer, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Beth Hutson, Brownsville Area Elementary School Principal Frank Berdar, teachers Nikki Harvey, Michelle Izzi, Rebecca Harvey, Phil Matsick and counselor Stacey Lent.
The team will present at the AASA’s Learning 2025 Summit held this month in Washington, D.C.
“We have been asked to present at this summer’s National Summit on how we are redesigning our district to be more student-centered in our approach to education,” Hartbauer said, adding that the district was chosen as one of 32 districts in Western Pennsylvania to participate in the summit.