Pine-Richland Hires New Assistant Superintendent

A new face will be taking on a leadership role in the Pine-Richland School District.

At Monday’s school board meeting, Pine-Richland officials hired Michael Pasquinelli as assistant superintendent. 

A principal at Marshall Elementary School in the neighboring North Allegheny School District, Pasquinelli will replace Dr. David Foley, who is taking a position as superintendent of the West Middlesex School District in Mercer County.

The district is located much closer to Grove City, where Foley lives with his wife and three children.

Pasquinelli has spent 24 years in education, including 13 years as an administrator, according to a statement from Pine-Richland.

He earned his B.S. in Mathematics Education from the University of Pittsburgh and M. Ed. in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. 

He also has completed all coursework in the school leadership doctoral program at the University of Pittsburgh and is currently working on his dissertation.

"Mr. Pasquinelli is a proven educational leader with administrative experiences at all levels of education,” said Pine-Richland Superintendent Dr. Brian Miller. 

“He is student-centered in his approach and believes strongly in the importance of building relationships with students, staff, and the community. As a new member of the district administrative team, people will immediately notice his honest, positive and straightforward style of communication and leadership. We look forward to his arrival."

Pasquinelli said he was excited to “serve the community of Pine-Richland School District.

“I believe all children can and want to learn when challenged with topics and ideas that are relevant to their lives and are motivated by educators who find ways to connect with them,” he said. “Great schools equal great communities and great communities equal great schools. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us.”

The board also approved more than 30 teachers to participate in the Academic Leadership Council. These grade level and department chairpersons will work collaboratively with the administration and their colleagues.

"We are fortunate to have the opportunity to select teachers for these roles," Miller said. “Their participation and input is an important component of organizational improvement."