Becki Pellis to lead Greater Latrobe School District in interim as superintendent search begins

Greater Latrobe School District administrator Becki Pellis will take on the additional role of interim superintendent on Jan. 1, as the school board begins a search for the successor to retiring Superintendent Mike Porembka.

Board members voted unanimously at a special meeting Tuesday to give Pellis the additional role and thanked her for taking on the extra responsibility.

Pellis, who is assistant to the superintendent for elementary education, said she will continue to oversee federal programs, technology and elementary curriculum while stepping up to lead the district. She will be paid an additional daily stipend of $160.

“As this (search) process goes forward, we have to advertise for five weeks and then go through all the candidates,” said school board President Andrew Repko. “She’s going to keep the ship going straight and narrow for us, doing her job and stepping in to run the district also.”

Pellis said she will rely on the support of fellow staff while working with the board and district families.

“We have an amazing staff,” she said. “I look for us all to work together and continue the excellence that we already have.

“We’ll all work together to do what’s best for our kids.”

With accumulated leave, Porembka’s official retirement date is set for Feb. 20. He announced in November his intention to step down, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.

“We’re all happy but sad for Mike,” Pellis said of his departure. “But we understand.”

Porembka told TribLive he had experienced some health issues in June that caused him to reexamine the priorities in his life. He didn’t discuss specifics.

The board hired educational consultant P. Emery D’Arcangelo to help with the search for a new superintendent. He will be paid $125 per hour, including travel time, with the cost not to exceed $15,000, plus associated expenses.

D’Arcangelo performed a similar service for Hempfield Area School District this year after resigning as interim superintendent and search consultant for Leechburg Area School District. He retired in 2013 as superintendent of Franklin Regional School District.

Pellis has worked in education for 23 years, including more than 13 years at Greater Latrobe.

A 1996 Greater Latrobe graduate and Unity resident, she began her career at neighboring Ligonier Valley School District, where she taught fifth grade and was later coordinator of federal programs and literacy.

At Greater Latrobe, she was principal of Mountain View Elementary for nine years before joining the central administrative staff as director of technology and curriculum.

She became an assistant to the superintendent about three years ago.

She and her husband, Matt, a fellow Greater Latrobe alum, have two children: Adam, a high school senior, and Averi, a freshman.

Porembka joined the Greater Latrobe staff as a social studies teacher in 1998. His subsequent roles have included assistant junior high principal, Baggaley Elementary principal, interim director of facilities, director of teaching and learning, and assistant superintendent.

He was promoted to superintendent in January 2022 upon the retirement of his predecessor, Georgia Teppert.