Brownsville Area superintendent granted four-year contract
BROWNSVILLE — When Brownsville Area School District Superintendent Philip Savini started in his position in 2009, the district was financially strapped and unable to pay its bills, Savini said.
Now, the district has a fund balance of $1.4 million and has been making strides, according to school board President Rocky Brashear.
School board members approved a new four-year contract for Savini by a 6-3 vote during a board meeting Thursday. Board members Andy Assad, Ros Gammon IV and Cheryl Terravecchia voted against the contract, as they preferred a five-year contract, Brashear said.
Starting in July, Savini will receive a 2 percent raise each year through June 30, 2017. His current salary is $115,000.
“I am very pleased and honored to have served the school board, community and the students,” Savini said.
With more than 30 years experience in education, Savini has served in many capacities. For 13 years, he worked as a teacher before becoming the assistant principal at Brownsville Area High School. In 1998, he was named principal at Mapletown Junior-Senior High School in the Southeastern Greene School District. In addition, he served as the district’s superintendent and was the director of curriculum in the Connellsville Area School District.
Since taking over as superintendent in the Brownsville Area district, Savini has cultivated a more positive image for the district in spite of the challenges facing the district, according to Brashear. About 63 percent of students qualify for free and reduced lunch, and 21 percent are students with special needs.
“When he took over, we were in the red,” Brashear said. “Compared to other schools, we are (now) faring very well. The education has been positive. We’re going up.”
State audits demonstrate the district is sound, Savini said. Students have excelled in national programs. This year’s graduating class boasted 56 percent of its students who plan to attend a post-secondary institution, a percentage that is unheard of in the district, according to Savini.
Tough cuts were made to establish a fund balance, Brashear said. Hiller and Cardale elementary schools were closed, which saves the district about $4 million a year. Eventually, the district will look into building a new school, but it may take a while, Brashear said.
“They were cuts that were hard to accept, but we had to do that to save the taxpayers heartache,” Brashear said.
Making these difficult decisions has given the district more stability, according to Savini. Establishing a fund balance and showing progression in test scores emphasizes the improvement made in Brownsville Area over the last four years, Savini said.
“We have continually had growth,” he added.
Noting how much progress has been made, Savini said he has high hopes for the district.
“I am pleased with the direction of the school district financially and academically,” Savini said. “I am looking forward to working with the parents, teachers, board and students for the next four years.”