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SFTSD Selected as National Lighthouse School System
South Fayette High School campus photo with SF logo and Learning 2025 Lighthouse Demonstration System logo
The South Fayette Township School District is one of only six school districts nationwide to be recognized as a 2023 Spring “Lighthouse System” by AASA, The School Superintendents Association, in partnership with the Successful Practices Network and Battelle for Kids. This award celebrates school systems that serve as models of powerful and positive change in public education. South Fayette’s distinction came in the area of “future-ready learners.”

The South Fayette Township School District is a member of the Western Pennsylvania Learning 2025 Alliance. This group of 34 regional school districts, supported by the Grable Foundation, collaborates to prepare their students for tomorrow. Through workshops and professional development, the Alliance reimagines education – a vision that may look different in each of the member districts.

“The South Fayette Township School District is proud to be part of the important work of the Learning 2025 Network and to be considered an exemplary district that can serve as a beacon for educational systems across the country,” said Superintendent Dr. Michelle Miller. “Our district’s leadership team, educators, and staff have been purposefully concentrated on providing transformative learning opportunities that are future-focused, student-centered, and innovation-driven. We are honored to have these efforts recognized at the national level.”

In the application submitted to AASA, the South Fayette Township School District highlighted its work leading the way through authentic and impactful problem-based learning. Relying on the skills acquired through the district’s acclaimed K-8 computer science pathway, Lion Learners are given voice and choice at the secondary level as to how they apply their computational thinking knowledge. In every classroom, in every subject area, and in every department, South Fayette High School prioritizes problem-based learning. Engaged Lion Learners do not just learn concepts and principles; they put them into practice. The problems they solve are not created in classrooms; they come from global industry professionals, leading universities, and premier social organizations and groups. The work South Fayette students create does not sit on an educator’s desk, nor is it stored in the cloud; it is implemented and utilized in professional spaces as evidenced by the district’s partnerships with companies including All-Clad, Calgon Carbon, Covestro, Hennecke, and PPG.

South Fayette, along with the other five Lighthouse recipients, including California Area, Franklin Regional, and River Valley school districts, will be recognized at the AASA Learning 2025 National Summit in Washington, D.C. this June.