Gennaro Piraino Jr. was sitting in his office working on a project, and he admits he was having a stressful day.

Then came a phone call. The superintendent of Franklin Regional School District in Westmoreland County was named Pennsylvania Superintendent of the Year for 2019 by the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators.

“It’s very humbling,” said Mr. Piraino, 45, who has served as Franklin Regional superintendent since 2013. “To be recognized by my peers is surreal and humbling at the same time.”

The state school administrators association said Mr. Piraino “has demonstrated both effective and collaborative leadership focused on raising student achievement and expanding student opportunities.

“Franklin Regional has developed a college- and career-ready approach that extends learning opportunities beyond the four walls of a classroom.”

Examples of these opportunities include:

• New courses in engineering, bio-medical science and computer science are offered to all students.

• Colleges in high school partnerships save the district more than $1.1 million annually.

• A partnership with the National Math and Science Initiative resulted in a 79 percent increase in the number of students earning qualifying scores on Advanced Placement exams.

PASA said the award nominees are evaluated on how they demonstrate leadership for learning, communication skills, professionalism and community involvement.

Mr. Piraino was nominated for the award by the Franklin Regional school board and administrative team, which pointed to his commitment to educational leadership in the district and beyond.

After he was nominated, Mr. Piraino said he would allow the process to run its course without high expecations. “I believe in what we’re doing at Franklin Regional,” he said “To be recognized by my colleagues is amazing.”

Before coming to Franklin Regional, Mr. Piraino spent 16 years in the Greater Latrobe School District as a special education teacher, assistant secondary principal, director of elementary curriculum and assistant superintendent.

The Greater Latrobe district is also Mr. Piraino’s alma mater. While there, his pursuit to become an educator was forged.

“I came from a tough background,” he said. “The educators in my life had an impact on me.”

He credits his home district for molding him “as a person and a professional.”

Kevin Flowers: kflowers@post-gazette.com.

First Published: November 13, 2018, 12:55 a.m.
Updated: November 15, 2018, 7:38 p.m.