David Schaap

Brentwood Borough School District

David Schaap has been a school board director for the Brentwood Borough School District for 15 years. He is president and founder of Selah Publishing Co., an internationally known publisher of church music, founded in 1988. Schaap is also organist/choirmaster at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Pittsburgh, Pa. His undergraduate studies were at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., with a double major in music (composition and arranging) and art (sculpture). Schaap has led workshops, plenaries, hymn festivals, and reading sessions for national and regional meetings throughout the United States.

As a representative of Brentwood's School Board, Schaap has served on the board of directors for Steel Center Career and Technical School for 14 years and the Mon Valley Area Special School District for 14 years and most of that as president. The last five years, Schaap has been an elected member of the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, serving as treasurer, vice-president, and is in his second term as president.

Schaap served on the PSBA effective governance committee that rewrote the current “Principles for Governance and Leadership”; PSBA Policy committee in 2016; served as assistant PSBA regional director starting in 2010 until positions were re-configured; has been PSBA liaison for Brentwood Borough School District for most of his 15-year tenure; and presented a workshop at the 2019 PSBA Leadership Conference (“Charting the Course: A VIP Event for Brentwood Borough School District”). Schaap has attended over a dozen annual School Leadership conferences, participated in many PSBA delegate assemblies, attended a number of PSBA legislative forums, and also did his required school director training through PSBA.

Schaap is married to Virginia, a musician and educator, and his three children graduated from Brentwood Borough High School. His youngest child is finishing up his undergraduate studies to become an elementary school teacher.

In response to the nomination form question, “Why I wish to serve in this position and what I hope to accomplish?”

“I have worked with both large and small school districts and large and small budgets with the four school boards I serve. I always work to understand the history, the challenges, and the successes, and do the research and ask questions to be prepared for the meetings. I push to focus on the long-term health of each organization, challenging them to thoughtfully plan for the future. I would do no less as President-Elect of the PSBA and I will show up and do the work. It would be my honor to serve as your President-Elect.”