McKeesport school board president Lopretto applauds administrators

By JEFF STITT
jstitt@yourmvi.com

McKeesport Area School Board President Joe Lopretto said during Wednesday’s meeting he thinks public school administrators deserve a pat on the back and that they don’t get enough recognition.
He used his monthly board president’s address to thank Superintendent Dr. Mark Holtzman and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Tia Wanzo for “working diligently” to make sure students are getting a quality education in the face of a pandemic.
“Nobody expected this COVID. It’s here, it’s here to stay (for) God knows how long, hopefully not too long,” Lopretto said. “Since March, our superintendent, our assistant superintendent, his staff, his team that he put together, have been diligently working to keep this district rolling.
“I know there were a lot of ups and downs for them. Thank goodness (Holtzman) doesn’t have hair because he would have probably ripped it out.”
Lopretto said many have offered criticism about the administration’s decision to reopen this month using a hybrid model that has students who didn’t choose total remote learning attending school in-person for a little more than a half day, five days per week.
The board president said none of the decisions made about reopening and putting restrictions in place were easy ones.
“Did he make all the right decisions? Did he make some bad decisions?” Lopretto rhetorically asked of Holtzman. “That’s something we don’t know.”
“What you are going through is some trying times,” Lopretto said to Wanzo and Holtzman.

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