Pine-Richland High School Freshman Dies at Home

Pine-Richland School District notified parents this evening about the death of a high school freshman.

“We deeply regret to inform you about a loss of one of our own in our school community ... (who) passed away at home today,” Superintendent Mary Bucci wrote in an email.

Details about the death were not released.

“This loss is sure to raise many emotions, concerns and questions for our entire school, especially our students,” Bucci wrote. “Please realize at this stage, information is very limited. As in all cases involving individual students, we have to be sensitive to the privacy of the family.”

The district activated its crisis intervention team to make school psychologists and counselors available to students to help them deal with grief. 

School counselors may be reached by calling the school's main office. Pine-Richland schools lead psychologist Maura Paczan and/or PR school psychologist Melissa Ramirez will be available at 724-443-7230, ext. 6500.

The district also recommends contacting the Caring Place, a grieving center for children, adults and families located in Pittsburgh and in the Warrendale/Cranberry area. Click here for the Caring Place's website.

Other resources available include the Resolve Crisis Network at 888-796-8226 and the Student & Young Adult Hot Line at 412-820-HELP.

“Our primary concern is with the care and well-being of our students,” Bucci wrote. “When we lose a student, we lose a member of our school family.”