I cannot imagine anyone in our community who boasts a wider, deeper and longer-lasting knowledge of the State College Area School District than Mary Kay Montovino. She is a woman who studied in our public schools from kindergarten through 12th grade. Then she sent her own children to those schools. Meanwhile she served as an employee for more than 40 years, working as a secretary, administrative assistant or hands-on leader for virtually every aspect of the school district.
Although it’s often said—with a measure of crudeness—that veterans of corporations or institutions know where the bodies are buried, Mary Kay Montovino can claim a much higher distinction. She knows how the young minds of our community have been enlightened.
That’s why I wanted to salute the recent selection of Montovino as president of the State College Area School District’s Education Foundation. And that’s why I sat down with her at Good Day Café a few days ago to hear her favorite memories and her dreams for the future.
Prior to that chat, my knowledge of this loyal townie was limited to the fact that she is the younger sister of Mike Archer. (As you may know, Mike starred at quarterback for State High in 1969 and 1970, then played strong safety for the University of Miami and then attained such lofty positions as head football coach for LSU and linebacker coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers.)
But even though I’ve written about Mike in the past, this conversation had little to do with Mary Kay’s famous brother. Rather, we focused on her multi-faceted career in the local school system and her ongoing care for the quality of education in State College.
So if you’ve ever wanted to hear from a secretary who served at an elementary school (Radio Park), at a middle school (Mount Nittany), at the high school and in the district office, Mary Kay Montovino is that person. And then you might be interested to know that she also supervised the high school cheerleaders for three years, helped with the drama club at Mount Nittany and served as the first president of the association for the school district’s support personnel. You might say she can do it all, and she has done it all for State College schools.
What message would you most like to share with the community?
Montovino: I’d love to highlight how wonderful the State College school district is. Me being a product, my husband (Angelo Montovino) being a product, my brother and sister (Mike and Jane Ann Archer Marino), my two children (Stephen M. Brame and Christina M. Montovino). State College is a great place to live. It’s a great place to grow up. And it’s a great place to raise a family. And now my passion is the education foundation — the good that we can do because we live in a very generous community.
I know you served in a variety of school and district offices, but as a kid what schools did you actually attend?
Montovino: I grew up in Park Forest; we moved there when I was three. When I went to kindergarten it was held in Park Forest Methodist Church. Then for first and second grade, we were along Westerly Parkway — in what is now the high school where they had an elementary wing in the junior high building. Then for third and fourth, I went to Radio Park Elementary, and for fifth and sixth we were in the Fairmount Avenue building with all its little nooks and crannies and tunnels.
And one-way staircases.
Montovino: Yes, yes. But the beautiful hardwood floors going up the steps that I remember, they’re still there. And I remember one year — I’m not sure if it was fifth or sixth grade — we had a pageant before Christmas and I was chosen to be Santa Lucia. And I had to wear this heavy battery-operated crown with candles on it, and I walked down that slippery ramp in the auditorium. And then up on stage. And I also remember sitting down in the chairs in the auditorium and having a spring come up and catch you in the butt because they were so old. They’re still there.
What were your best memories from high school, especially from extra-curricular activities?
Montovino: I did field hockey, gymnastics and track and field. And then in track and field, even as short as I am, I loved the hurdles. Even with these short legs, I’d still try to make those three steps between hurdles. But I developed shin splints, so the legs were not good at that point. I had been a cheerleader in seventh and eighth grade, so for my senior year I thought, “I’m just gonna try out for cheerleading.’ So I was a cheerleader that year and that became a huge highlight. You remember what football games were like back in the ‘70s when Memorial Field was packed full. You had the Suheys and the Deckers and the Sefters and all those great athletes.
What’s your best memory from that experience?
Montovino: Every home game marching through town with the band. And marching down the ramp onto the field. A huge highlight. But there was one football game, and I’m trying to remember if it was Cedar Cliff or who the other team was. But it was a home game. And Kenny Decker had the ball and was running down the sideline and scored the winning touchdown. And there was a rumor that a State High cheerleader held him up from going out of bounds. I was that cheerleader, but it didn’t happen. I didn’t touch him, and it wasn’t ruled a penalty. It was just a rumor, but it was a very vocal rumor from their side.
What was it that forged such a deep loyalty in your heart for State College schools? Was your experience as a cheerleader part of that?
Montovino: I think mostly I loved the teaching staff and the other staff at the high school. You felt welcome, you felt safe, you wanted to learn and you had fun, too. I think I got a great education, but I also was taught how to socialize properly, how to be a good kid. And as involved as we were as kids, you didn’t have time to get in trouble.
Moving forward a few years, what was your favorite job with the school district?
Montovino: That’s really hard. I loved every one of them. But professionally, I’d say serving in the accounting and assistant superintendent’s offices, because I got to learn so much more about the operation of the district.
I worked with John Casey when I worked at the high school; he was assistant principal. So when he was chosen to be the principal at Mount Nittany Middle School, I thought I would love to work with John again. And I wanted that challenge of opening a brand new building. I hadn’t done that yet. But we almost didn’t get into the building in time for school to start.
Do you remember a moment that was especially hectic or funny?
Montovino: Hectic. I would have to say the first day that teachers were allowed into the building. When you’re the building secretary, you’re the one that everybody comes to. I felt like this huge rubber band being stretched in 50 different directions.
You were the rubber band?
Montovino: I was the rubber band. You know, “Mary Kay, I need this.” Or “Where are my supplies?” John was always very laid back. But I worked a lot of weekends and a lot of nights to get things ready.
Clearly, you’re somebody who can master detail.
Montovino: I mastered multi-tasking that year.
Did you have a rather patient personality to be able to put up with all the demands?
Montovino: I had a patient personality until I came home and vented to my husband. I had him as a solid supporter. He’s always been the ultimate husband. My friend, Sherry Wright, says, “Don’t ever tell me anything negative about Ange, because I think he is the epitome of the perfect husband.” And he truly is. Most of my life, I’ve had my hand in many pots at the same time, and he’s very understanding.
What are your abilities or traits that have made you successful in so many roles?
Montovino: I always wanted to help. Like when I was at Mount Nittany, they could come to me for anything. When I was at Radio Park, they could come to me for anything. If somebody needed me to go pick up their dry cleaning, I would’ve picked up their dry cleaning…well, maybe not. But I always felt that my role as building secretary was to make everything in the day-to-day operations run smoothly. Parents, they would call me, they’d ask for me, and I would personally walk down the hall to get their child or give the child a message.
Why did you join the board of the education foundation right after retiring as a school district employee?
Montovino: When I was approached to consider being on the foundation board, I was taken aback. I always thought that people that served on these boards were the ones donating a lot of money, you know. I could donate as much time as I have, but I don’t have a lot of extra money to donate. So I talked to Randy Brown (the school district’s finance and operations officer) and I said, “What can I bring to the foundation?” And he said, “Your wealth of knowledge.” And you know, that was huge. Being the person that I am, I accepted right away. I’m not the person that’s gonna knock on the door and ask you for a donation. But I’ll do anything that needs to be done behind the scenes. I’ll do the planning. I’m on the events committee. I’ll do any of that.
What is the most significant thing that people fail to understand about State College schools or about the foundation?
Montovino: When I first got involved with the foundation, people would say to me, “Why do you need a foundation? My taxes pay for everything.” But they don’t. Not when you think of the amount of money that goes to charter schools and when you consider how salaries, healthcare costs and retirement benefits have increased.
We want to be able to have the district’s administration come to us and say, “We really need your help.” For instance, during the pandemic, there was an outcry for help for families when everybody was shut down and they weren’t working. So the district came to us and we put out a plea to the community. And the community delivered — we received well over $100,000, not at once but over time. That money made a huge difference because it helped people pay rent, buy groceries, pay their electric bill and get the counseling they needed for their children. Our “Mental Health Matters” fund is used for many things. We’ve brought in counselors from Penn State through the Herr Clinic and we pay for half of that cost while the district pays the other half.
So what is the single biggest component of the foundation’s giving?
Montovino: Most years I would say it’s mental health. But you know, we did have the Memorial Field campaign too, and for that we received very large donations, from Larry Beans and from Galen Dreibelbis and from the Hawbaker family. The Mardi Lowry McDonough ’87 Student Opportunity Fund and Grant Program is available for teachers and staff members to apply for grants for special projects, field trips and activities to benefit students.
State College schools have always been excellent because education is a big deal in this community. But is there a particular strength that might surprise people?
Montovino: We have many different cultures that are represented here because of the university. And I think we do a great job of teaching what used to be called “ESL” (English as a Second Language) but is now called “ELL” (English Language Learners). In general, I think we are doing really well with finding out what students need and being able to provide it. And that comes from the teachers that we hire. I think salaries are better than they used to be, and our administration is very supportive of our teachers and our staff.
What might you consider to be a deficiency?
Montovino: Well now I’m putting on my hat as the former president of the State College Educational Support Personnel Association. I don’t think we pay our paraprofessionals nearly enough. We have lunchroom paraprofessionals, we have recess paraprofessionals, we have instructional support paraprofessionals. Some of these folks are single parents, and it’s really tough for a family to live off the money that they’re paid. They need to be valued and paid for what they bring to the schools.
Although you’re the new foundation president, you’ve been on the board since 2017. Do you feel like the foundation is winning big or it’s barely ahead of the game?
Montovino: We’ve done better than what I had expected in such a short period of time. (The foundation was established in the fall of 2015.) But we have such a generous community, and we want to enrich these kids’ futures as much as we can. We have 11 wonderful community members who volunteer their time to serve on our board. We have retirees, Penn State employees, former school board members and other community members. We’re guided by Paul Olivett, our executive director. He’s the one with the knowledge of development and fundraising, so we rely on him heavily.
You’ve noted the generosity of this community several times. Maybe I should ask you to mention how people can make gifts to the State College Area School District Education Foundation.
Montovino: Simply go to the school district’s website, which is www.scasd.org, and then hit the “Foundation/Giving” tab or go directly to scasdfoundation.org/donate. You can also contact Paul Olivett at paul@scasdfoundation.org. By the way, our annual Maroon and Gray Banquet will be held on May 20 at Centre Hills Country Club. The focus for funding this year will be the district’s effort to increase extra-curricular activities — to provide new clubs for students who may be currently falling through the cracks.
