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It was a momentous day for students from Brentwood Borough School District and 10 other school districts in the South Hills and Mon Valley as the Steel Center for Career and Technical Education held its grand re-opening on August 27.

David Schaap president of the Steel Center’s Joint Operating Committee and a member of the Brentwood Borough School Board is shown speaking to the audience.

Donna Ramirez, a Brentwood High School and Steel Center CTE graduate and senior at Carlow University was in attendance at the event.

Pictured in front is Donna Ramirez. In back (L to R) are: David Schaap, Steel Center Executive Director Kevin Rice, and State Senator Nick Pisciottano.

Over the past three years, Steel Center CTE has been under-going nearly $36 million in transformational renovations and upgrades, which also include the addition of two new programs.

Approximately 80 Brentwood 10th-12th grade students attend Steel Center daily, taking classes in the Jefferson Hills school in the early morning before returning to Brentwood High School mid-morning for the remainder of their class schedule. There are more than 1,000 students who attend Steel Center, up from approximately 600 a decade ago.

Brentwood Borough Superintendent Dr. Amy Burch attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house along with Board members Bob Kircher, Antonia Focer-Brown, David Schaap and Donna Werner. Schaap is president of the Steel Center’s Joint Operating Committee and spoke during the ceremony.

“These renovations and new programs mean more Brentwood students can find a career path at Steel Center,” Schaap said. “We have updated labs, new technology and programs like health science and entrepreneurship - that didn't exist a few years ago - and the trades. This is a real investment in their future. Brentwood students are getting career training as good as anywhere in Pennsylvania and they don’t have to leave the South Hills.”

Among the other speakers were: Pennsylvania Lt. Governor Austin Davis, Allegheny County Executive Sarah Innamorato, Pa. State Senator Nick Pisciottano, Superintendent of Record Dr. Randall Lutz and Steel Center Executive Director Kevin Rice.

Also among the attendees was 2023 Brentwood High School graduate Donna Ramirez, who is a Steel Center graduate and was featured in a video shown during the ceremony. Ramirez was a student in Steel Center’s Health Assistants program and works part-time at Jefferson Hospital. She’s entering her senior year at Carlow University, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree while maintaining a 4.0 grade-point average.

Ramirez said she became interested in attending Steel Center during her freshman year at Brentwood when her class toured the facility. She enrolled as a sophomore.

“I’ve always been interested in healthcare and the sciences,” she said. “Steel Center was different. It was very diverse and good for engagement since there were students from other districts. That’s how the healthcare field is. It helped grow my foundation for learning.”

Ramirez praised Steel Center Health Assistants teacher Jennifer Kastronis for not only what she learned as a Brentwood student but helping her prepare for nursing school at Carlow.

“Mrs. K taught us anatomy, physiology, fundamentals, pharmacology and more,” she stated. “What I’ve learned in nursing school resembles the way Mrs. K taught. I’m so thankful for the opportunity; it’s a wonderful program at Steel Center.”

Ramirez began working part-time at Jefferson Hospital near the end of her freshman year at Carlow and this past Summer was an intern at the facility. She is on track to graduate in Spring 2027 and has multiple options in nursing after she graduates, including enrolling in Nurse Practitioner or CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) programs.

The Steel Center renovations included improvements to classrooms and labs with new equipment and furniture and much-needed upgrades to HVAC, roofing and flooring throughout the facility.

Steel Center has added a business innovations and social media marketing program and a second building trades course. The school also is adding an electric vehicle technician apprenticeship program. Steel Center offers nearly 20 hands-on programs that range from automotive technology to cosmetology, culinary arts, cybersecurity, HVAC and sports medicine.

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