Pittsford Central School District Launches Unified Department of Pupil Services

Starting July 1, 2026, Pittsford Central School District pupil services operates as a single unified department — the result of merging the former Student Services and Special Education departments into one. For families, that means one system, one starting point, and one set of people working together when a child needs help.

One Department, One Question: What Does This Student Need?

One Department, One Question: What Does This Student Need?

The previous structure divided student support across two separate departments. A family navigating both behavioral support and special education services might end up with two separate offices and two separate contacts. The new Department of Pupil Services removes that gap.

The new department covers student supports including special education, mental health services, intervention programs, and health services — nearly every non-academic dimension of a student's school experience.

"What does this student need to be successful, and how can we work together to provide it?"

— Pittsford Central School District, Department of Pupil Services guiding philosophy

That framing puts the student at the center rather than the org chart. Families calling about a struggling child don't have to figure out which department is responsible — the department figures that out internally, then coordinates.

Dr. Lindsay Ali: Pittsford's First Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Services

Dr. Lindsay Ali: Pittsford's First Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Services

Dr. Lindsay Ali was named the district's first-ever Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Services, effective July 1, 2026. She had been serving as Director of Student Services since November 10, 2025, stepping into that role less than eight months before this expanded one was created around it.

Her career covers the full arc of what the department now does. She began as a special class teacher for children with autism in Charlotte, NC. She later served as Director of Pupil Personnel Services at Honeoye Falls-Lima Central School District for five years — from 2018 to 2023 — doing the same type of coordinated student support work at another Monroe County district before coming to Pittsford.

She completed her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Rochester in May 2025, a doctorate she finished while already working in school administration. She lives in Pittsford. Her two sons attend Calkins Road Middle School and Sutherland High School — she's not an outside administrator evaluating the district from a distance. She's a parent inside it.

The district's announcement of her original appointment noted that her "depth of experience in special education, student services leadership, and administration will be an asset to our District and to the students and families we serve."

The Team and How to Reach Them

The Team and How to Reach Them

Three assistant directors support Dr. Ali: Maria Hill, Theresa McDonald, and Laura Hefner — covering Elementary, Secondary, and Special Programs respectively. The structure gives every grade band a dedicated point of contact and lets Dr. Ali coordinate across all three. An updated organizational chart is going out to families to explain the new structure. The department is based at 75 Barker Road, Room 401 East Wing — Barker Road Middle School — and can be reached at 585-267-1000.