Quaker Valley School District hires new police officer

Quaker Valley School District officials hired their newest police officer.

Lauren Porupsky of Peters Township will be tasked with keeping students and staff at Osborne Elementary safe this school year.

The board unanimously appointmented her Sept. 19.

Officer Thomas Liberty will now be permanently stationed at Edgeworth Elementary. He was splitting time at Edgeworth and Osborne elementaries.

Porupsky thanked school directors for their support, and said she was excited to get to work.

“Being around kids and protecting them is the most important thing I could ever do for our youth,” she said. “I want to thank you for the opportunity, and I’m looking forward to seeing everybody.”

Other school district officers include David Watts, at the middle school, and Chief of School Police Aaron Vanatta at the high school.

“We are excited to welcome Officer Lauren Porupsky as (a) school police officer,” said Vanatta. “Officer Porupsky brings with her a wealth of experience from Gill Hall Elementary School in the West Jefferson Hills School District, where she has been keeping children safe for the last five years.

“She comes highly recommended as someone who is able to build rapport with students, build rapport with parents, and build rapport with the school faculty and staff.”

Porupsky worked closely with the West Jefferson Hills School District Life Skills staff, conducted ALICE staff safety training and worked with students on a variety of programs.

ALICE is active shooter training and stands for alert, lockdown, inform, counter and evacuate.

Porupsky also served with the Pleasant Hills and Clairton police departments.

Vanatta hopes his new recruit will become a mentor to students and while educating them on a variety of safety topics.

Porupsky’s starting salary is $62,000.

Other personnel matters

The board also approved these personnel moves Sept. 19:

• Accepted the resignations of cafeteria monitor Heidi Wright-McGurgan, assistant nurse Bridget Lee, education paraprofessional Jennifer Minner and cafeteria worker Erika Ferderbar.

• Appointed Ciarra Elmer as an Edgeworth Elementary special education access teacher at a rate of $180 per day.

• Appointed Aubree Serkoch as a high school special education access teacher at a rate of $180 per day.

• Appointed Stacy Gianiodis as an Edgeworth Elementary cafeteria monitor at a rate of $13.75 per hour.

• Appointed Lauren Grieco as an Osborne Elementary educational paraprofessional at an annual salary of $27,827.

• Appointed Trisha Brightwell as an Osborne Elementary custodial worker at a rate of $18.84 per hour.