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Board appoints internal candidate as superintendent, approves grant and Hyland's retirement; license-plate-reader proposal draws split at meeting
Summary
The board unanimously approved a grant application, accepted Dr. Hyland's retirement and voted to appoint David DeRaimo as superintendent effective July 1; a separate proposed partnership giving the district access to municipal license-plate readers prompted sharp debate and is scheduled for a future vote.
The North Allegheny School Board voted unanimously on March 11 to approve three items on its agenda: a public school facility improvement grant application, the retirement of Dr. Hyland, and the board's internal appointment of David DeRaimo as superintendent, effective July 1.
Board chair Mrs. Warner read a written statement praising Dr. Hyland's 35 years in education and describing the board's decision to promote from within. "Given the strong momentum within the district, the board is pleased to announce that we have come to terms with Mr. DeRaimo, our current assistant superintendent of secondary education, who will transition to the role of superintendent this July upon Dr. Hyland's official exit," the statement said.
David DeRaimo accepted the appointment and thanked Dr. Hyland and the administrative team. "I'm extremely humbled and excited and honored to accept this appointment as the next superintendent," he said, adding that he would "work my hardest not to let you down" and that he expects to continue the district's strategic plan while engaging staff and the community.
The board disclosed contract details: the initial salary in the voting item was $225,000 and the contract includes a $5,000 increase contingent on Mr. DeRaimo obtaining a doctorate, information the chair read into the record.
Separately, during committee reports the board discussed a proposed partnership to join McCandless Borough's license-plate-reader (LPR) system and asked whether the district should accept access for campus-safety use. Dr. Gibbs raised civil-liberty and misuse concerns, citing cases where LPR misreads led to wrongful detentions and warning of broader law-enforcement uses: "They can make mistakes. They can misread license plates... federal organizations like ICE are using the LPR systems in combination with other databases to hunt people down," he said.
Mrs. Blackburn pushed back, saying the tool could prevent harm on campus and that the local police are installing the readers regardless; she said district access costs about $11,000 and argued that the safety benefits justify the expenditure: "I absolutely want to spend $11,000 to ensure that a possible child molester doesn't come on to our campus." The board did not vote on the LPR item that night; it was scheduled for a vote at the next meeting and consultants said the vendor provided a written assurance the company does not share information with ICE.
Why it matters: The board's unanimous appointment of an internal candidate maintains continuity in district leadership as major facility projects move forward. The LPR debate highlights tensions between school-safety investments and privacy concerns that may shape future policy.
What comes next: DeRaimo will assume the superintendent role on July 1. The LPR partnership will return for a formal vote at the board's next meeting; the board asked for more documentation of risks and benefits before deciding.
