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Fox Chapel superintendent retiring as degree questioned

FOX CHAPEL, Pa. (AP) — The superintendent of Fox Chapel Area School District has announced she'll retire Dec. 31 as questions about her doctoral degree have been raised.

Superintendent Anne Stephens announced her plans Monday and school board President Joel Weinstein said she's been considering the move for about six months.

Weinstein said that Stephens’ contract is up in December and that the majority of the school board supports her and the work she has done in the district.

In a statement, Weinstein said, “She's been a great superintendent and has done great things for our school district. We've won all kinds of awards in art and music and our middle school has been listed as one of the Schools to Watch.”

He said Stevens’ retirement is not related to community concerns being raised that her doctoral degree is from LaSalle University in Mandeville, La., which is defunct and was not accredited when Stephens received her degree.

The district requires its superintendent to have a doctorate although that's not required by state regulators. Stephens has said the district's requirements never said the degree had to be from an "accredited" school.

The school shut down in 2001 after Louisiana and federal regulators questioned whether it was a diploma mill that swindled students.

Weinstein said the search for a new superintendent will begin in about two weeks.

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