NEW CASTLE School district hires business manager

The new business manager will earn $79,000 per year.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Roger Havey had to wait 14 years, but he finally got the job as the business manager/secretary of the New Castle Area School District.
Board members hired Havey on Monday at a special meeting. He replaces retiring business manager/secretary Marie Pisano.
Havey said he first applied for the job in 1988 when Pisano was first hired. Havey said Pisano had also beaten him out on an earlier job in McKeesport, Pa.
"Now that I know she wasn't applying [for the current position], I decided to apply again," said Havey jokingly.
Havey, 48, of Aliquippa, Pa., said he will leave his full-time position as the borough manager of Midland, Beaver County. He also is a consultant for the Western Pennsylvania Charter Cyber School and the Midland School District.
Havey said he will work full time in New Castle, but may continue some consulting work.
He expects to begin work in New Castle when school resumes Jan. 13, but said he will come to the district over the next few weeks to familiarize himself with the finances.
Helping with transition
Pisano said she will remain on as long as Havey needs assistance. She officially retired earlier this year and the district has been paying her on a per-diem basis for work done.
"He's going to do a great job. He's a goal-oriented person with a lot of experience," Pisano said of her replacement.
Havey will be paid $2,000 per year to act as board secretary and $77,000 annually for his work as school business manager. He will also receive full insurance benefits through the district. Havey has a bachelor's degree in business/accounting from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a master's degree in business administration from Frostburg State University.
He previously worked as director of special programs and administrative assistant with the Aliquippa School District and as business manager/board secretary at the Greencastle Antrim School District and St. Mary's Area School District.
In addition to hiring Havey, school board members officially accepted a mandate waiver from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to include seventh and eighth grades in the new senior high school construction project.
The board requested the waiver earlier in the year so they could make changes to the senior high school building project. Board members intend to combine the junior and senior high schools and close Ben Franklin Junior High School in a money-saving effort.