Director to resign soon
BUTLER TWP — The Butler School District's director of business services plans to leave the district for another job.
Debbie Brandstetter informed the administration of her plans Tuesday afternoon, said William Pettigrew, acting superintendent.
Brandstetter will stay with the district until mid-May while the administration continues to work on an operating budget to propose for school board approval next month, Pettigrew said.
In an interview, Brandstetter said she accepted a position with the Riverside Beaver County School District.
She has worked for the district since 2014 and was business manager for the South Butler County district from 2006 to 2014. A graduate of Pine-Richland High School she had previously held several private-sector jobs.
Her time with Butler included helping the district go through its consolidation plan in 2015 when it closed five elementary schools and realigned the grades among the remaining school buildings.
“I've enjoyed all the people I've worked with. I have a lot of good memories,” she said.
She said the administration will present the budget to the school board on May 8 and she will stay on until May 11 to help with any budget adjustments.
At a special meeting Tuesday night, school board members declined to comment on the situation saying they had not seen a resignation in writing.
“I'll be sad to see her go,” Nina Teff, school board president, said about the prospect of Brandstetter leaving.
Pettigrew said the administration won't seek candidates for a replacement until receiving instructions from the school board, which meets again April 24.
The director of business services oversees “budgeting, financial management, debt service, risk and insurance management, taxation and payroll,” according to the district's website.
The position is vital during the district's annual budgeting process, Pettigrew said, especially for a district such as Butler which is facing a deficit of $1.5 million, as of Monday's board meeting.
“It's a very important position,” Pettigrew said.
