Keystone Oaks Hires New Superintendent

The School Board voted unanimously last Thursday evening to hire North Allegheny School District Assistant Superintendent Dr. William P. Stropkaj as its eighth permanent superintendent.

Stropkaj replaces Dr. William Urbanek, who retired in December after 36 years in the district.

Stropkaj had worked at North Allegheny since April 2008 as the Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education and Curriculum. Prior to that, Stropkaj was with Montour School District for twelve years, where he served as the Middle School Assistant Principal, Elementary School Principal, and Federal Programs Coordinator. Stropkaj also spent eight years as a Mathematics and Physics Teacher in the Deer Lakes and Sto-Rox School Districts.

At North Allegheny, Stropkaj oversaw the day-to-day operations of that district's seven elementary schools with the principals reporting directly to him. Stropkaj also worked collaboratively with the elementary principals to discuss, develop, and implement programs at the elementary level.

The McKees Rocks native holds two degrees from Duquesne University, including a Bachelor of Science, with certifications in the areas of Mathematics and Physics as well as a Master of Science degree in School Administration, with a Secondary and Elementary School Principal certification. Stropkaj earned his doctoral degree in School Administration from the University of Pittsburgh.

Stropkaj, whose background includes work in student-achievement data analysis and school budgeting, believes that now is a great time to come to Keystone Oaks.

“Keystone Oaks is a wonderful school district and I'm really proud to be a part of it,” Stropkaj said, in a press release made public last week. “I can't wait to begin establishing relationships throughout the entire community from the school board to our administrative staff and teachers, to our students and their families.”

One of the core tenets of Stropkaj's educational philosophy is the importance of a well- rounded education.

“It is important to have a solid academic, arts and athletics program in a district that meets the needs of all students,” he said. “These areas help to provide that connectedness that is so vital to a student's development.”

Keystone Oaks School Board President Gary Alward is excited to begin working with the new superintendent.

“Stropkaj is very student-oriented and personable and he is very experienced on the financial side as well,” Alward said. “His personality, skill set and experience match up very nicely with our district's needs.”

Stropkaj will begin at Keystone Oaks on July 1, 2012. At that time, Kathleen Foster, who has served as the acting superintendent since December, will resume her role as Assistant Superintendent.