Blair Kucinski

When asked what he was most proud of in his district, Dr. Blair Kucinski, Leechburg Superintendent, reported enthusiastically, "There are so many things, I don't know where to begin."

With over 21 years in Special Education, Dr. Kucinski is bursting with pride over the excellent Special Education programs Leechburg provides to all students in the county. Out of the 501 school districts in Pennsylvania, Leechburg was commended for achieving 100% compliance with the recommendations for Special Education. The district runs an alternate education program and collaborates with the Family Counseling Center of Kittanning to offer individualized attention. Dr. Kucinski accredits the success of these programs to the dedication of the faculty and staff.

Over the past eight years Dr. Kucinski has also implemented many improvements to the academic program to raise the bar for achievement. Working in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh to develop a system of targeting instruction, Dr. Kucinski will present the specifics of the Leechburg academic program to a group of Western Pennsylvania superintendents at Seven Springs. The system uses multiple assessments to determine the specific weak areas for each student. Then teachers customize the instruction to meet those individual needs.

With this specific feedback for each student, the teachers provide three ongoing opportunities for additional instruction. There is a free evening tutoring program, the daily Activity Period has been replaced by an Academic Seminar for tutoring, and all eighth graders not meeting the standards must take an additional math class every day. By customizing the instruction based on the data from the assessments, the district is providing an array of academic supports to improve student achievement.

In addition, Leechburg has soared in the advancement of technology with a minimal increase in taxes. Due to the initiative of their Technology Coordinator, Mr. Pete Pinta, much of the computer technology has been funded by grants. Supplying state-of-the-art computers, the district has maintained a 1.5 to 1 ratio of students to computers for the past four years. Furthermore, during this time, full Internet access has been available on every computer.

The excellence upheld by Dr. Kucinski and the district is reflected in a commendation by the Standard and Poors Report. This system for evaluating schools stated in its online report, "This district may serve as a valuable source of effective strategies and practices for other districts in Pennsylvania that are looking for ways to improve student performance."

A final outstanding aspect of the district's progress brings a gleam to Dr. Kucinski's eyes, an upgrade in communication with parents. Beginning next year, parents will have direct contact with teachers via email and by using the district's new software, Edline. Edline will give parents accessibility to teachers' electronic grade books and homework assignments. The following year there will be a new phone system, allowing even more direct communication.

Dr. Kucinski's educational background demonstrates his strong commitment to students with special needs. He received his B.S. degree in Special Education and in Elementary Education at California State College. After teaching for the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit for 19 years, he served as the Supervisor of Special Education for Kiski Area for three years. Throughout these years, Dr. Kucinski took a large number of students to the Special Olympics and cheered them on as they participated.

In addition, he ran a business called Educational Specialists that offered an educational clinic much like the Sylvan Learning Center. The business also provided social and recreational programs for mentally disabled students and adults in a day camp called Camp Carol, which served the Highlands, Hemphield, and Kiski Area school districts. Many other services were provided through his business including occupational, physical, and speech therapy as well as psychological services.

In 1992 he became the Director of Special Education for the Armstrong School District and in 1993 was promoted to position of Assistant Superintendent for Armstrong. Recruiting him for his expertise in the field, Leechburg Area School District then brought Dr. Kucinski on board as their superintendent in 1995.

Along with the wonderful things happening in the district, Dr. Kucinski enjoys spending time with his wife, Joan and his two grown children, Janine Bruni and Brian. Besides fly-fishing and golf, one of his favorite pastimes is taking care of his two granddaughters Madison and Morgan. "My wife and I enjoy having the girls stay with us or babysitting them in Pittsburgh. It's such a joy to watch them."

Without a doubt, Dr. Kucinski has been a catalyst moving the Leechburg Area School District forward with great strides of improvement in all areas. His commitment to excellence in education will continue to make the district and community proud for many years to come.