The North Hills School District has appointed Kaitlin Hoch as West View Elementary Assistant Principal effective July 1, 2024, with the hope of adding three more elementary school assistant principals prior to the 2024-25 school year.

Ms. Hoch has served as interim assistant principal at West View in a temporary role since last summer when she was hired to support Principal Jesse Simpson during the school’s ongoing renovation.

At the time, the administration and school board stated it would help them evaluate the need for assistant principals at all four elementary schools, a topic that has been discussed for years and especially after budgetary restraints brought on by COVID-19 eliminated the district’s previous elementary school assistant principal who split time among all four buildings.

“The addition of elementary assistant principals is something we have talked about for many years and having Kaitlin at West View this year has made a tremendous impact,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Mannarino said in announcing Ms. Hoch’s hiring on April 18. “Education today requires us to look at the whole child to meet their academic, social and emotional, and physical needs while supporting and serving our students, their families and our staff to the best of our ability. Kaitlin has helped us do just that at West View.”

Not only does Principal Simpson agree, the entire community has taken notice.

“So many families have approached me about the wonderful job Ms. Hoch has done this year, wanting to know what they needed to do to keep her at West View,” recalled Simpson. “I am elated to tell them not to worry, she is staying!”

He concluded, “Ms. Hoch goes above and beyond for our school community every day. The impact she has had on our students and staff is amazing!”

A graduate of Duquesne University, Ms. Hoch joined North Hills in 2017 as a first grade teacher at Ross Elementary School. She moved to McIntyre Elementary School the following year as a fourth grade teacher where she remained through the 2022-23 school year.

“I am thrilled to remain in the North Hills School District and part of the West View administrative team alongside Mr. Simpson,” said Ms. Hoch. “Knowing I can continue to build relationships and foster a positive school climate of high student achievement is simply invigorating. The community has been extremely welcoming and I am so honored and proud to be part of the West View family!”

An assistant principal for each of the remaining three elementary schools is in the current version of the 2024-25 budget and the positions have been included since budget talks began.

The proposed final budget will be presented and up for approval at the board’s next meeting on May 2 with the final budget on the June 6 board meeting agenda.

Two public budget meetings also remain for community members to learn more about the budget and ask questions. They will be held on April 24 and May 9 at 7 p.m. in the Ross Elementary School auditorium.