In the recent school board election, voters in Mt. Lebanon reelected Melinda Berdyck to a new term and elected new school directors Becki Campanaro, Tim Clougherty and Joy Givens. Each brings great enthusiasm as well as many valuable skills to their role.

Director Berdyck and her husband moved to Mt. Lebanon 19 years ago and are proud parents of three daughters (classes of 2022, 2025 and 2028). She has an undergraduate degree in education and a master’s in speech-language pathology, working the past 12 years in that field. She was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board in 2022 and was elected to a two-year term in 2023.

She says, “Doing this job requires an aptitude for a quick learning curve. I stand in a position of having figured out the landscape of school leadership, and I’m ready to continue leading. I don’t only hit the ground running; I keep on the pace toward progress that we have set with no lag time.”

Director Berdyck says one of the pressing issues the district faces includes “continuing a path to financial recovery that will be measured by an increase in unassigned fund reserves without loss of staff or services.” She also notes that Mt. Lebanon has aging athletic structures that will require updates in the near term and that financing them responsibly will be a very important decision.

Director-elect Campanaro and her husband relocated to Mt. Lebanon in 2011 “primarily because of the strong, decades-long reputation of the school district consistently ranking among the top districts in the state of Pennsylvania.”

Professionally, Campanaro has more than 20 years of experience working in higher education, helping students navigate their academic paths. She has an extensive résumé of volunteering, including with the Mt. Lebanon Junior Women’s Club, numerous positions within the PTA, and she recently joined the board of the Mt. Lebanon Foundation for Education.

Campanaro thinks that the district’s most pressing challenge is its budget. She was encouraged that “the district ended fiscal year 2024–25 with a surplus after starting the year in a projected deficit due to underfunding in the state budget.”

Though the budget crisis has improved through the hard work of the current board and Superintendent Friez, Campanaro said, “Restoring the district’s financial health is crucial to ensuring that Mt. Lebanon can continue providing a top-tier education for all students. It will be vital for the board to collaborate closely with Dr. Friez to carefully review expenditures and budget wisely, balancing the need to sustain and enhance the district’s tradition of academic excellence with the responsibility of managing the financial resources entrusted to the district by the community.”

In 2005, Director-elect Clougherty and his wife made the decision to move to her hometown of Mt. Lebanon. The quality of the schools was a big influence on that decision. They have raised their daughters (classes of 2026 and 2027) here, and he says that he has no doubt it was the right decision for their family.

Clougherty’s main reasons for running include: 1) financial oversight of the district’s spending, 2) promoting safe and effective use of technology by students, and 3) fostering an inclusive school culture where students of all backgrounds feel welcome and supported.

Clougherty’s professional and volunteer background includes extensive experience in budget management, which he hopes will be a great asset to the district. He says, “Board oversight involves evaluating how actual expenditures compare to projected budgets and asking the right questions to ensure that any necessary adjustments are made in a timely and efficient manner.”

Director-elect Givens and her husband moved to Mt. Lebanon in 2019 with their two kids (now ages 12 and 9) and added a set of twins four years ago. She says her older two children are what she calls “neuro-spicy” — one has Down syndrome and one has ADHD. Those diagnoses have given her firsthand experience with IEPs and 504 plans in the district. She is excited to bring representation of younger kids onto the board.

Professionally, Givens works part time as a refugee youth program specialist. When asked what her main reason for running was, she answered, “I believe in supporting all kids, families and team members in our district, and I am especially concerned with protecting and supporting those whose needs are overlooked or threatened. Specifically, I want to ensure protections and safeguards for LGBTQ+ students, parents and staff; individuals with disabilities and differences that require additional support; and newcomer students and families, especially those for whom language access is a barrier.”

She thinks the most pressing issue facing the district is continuing the progress through responsible resource management that the current board, superintendent and administration have done to successfully take the district from a funding deficit to a budget surplus over the past year.

Admittedly, the Mt. Lebanon School District has faced some challenges in recent years, but this group of school directors seems dialed in to the issues and what needs to continue to happen to allow the district to meet the needs of students while being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. They will be sworn in at the Dec. 8 school board meeting.