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Altoona Area High School renames science commons

AAHS Innovation Center dedicated in honor of Hite, Sheetz families’ donation

By Matt Churella 6 min read

The Altoona Area High School science commons was renamed and dedicated Monday as the AAHS Innovation Center, in honor of a generous donation from Jane and Lee Hite and Nancy and Steve Sheetz.

The donation was made to the Altoona Area School District Foundation to build an endowment that will inspire future generations of entrepreneurs, creators and leaders, said foundation Executive Director Paula Foreman, adding both families have supported and inspired innovation through initiatives like the Altoona LaunchBox and the Sheetz Fellows Program at Penn State Altoona.

"We are blessed by their donation," Foreman said, adding the Hite and Sheetz families have always cared about the district's students and programs.

District officials declined to state how large of a donation was made by the two families but noted it will go a long way and provide opportunities for students that they wouldn't have otherwise had.

Superintendent Brad Hatch said it was "a very generous donation" that will be specifically allocated to entrepreneurship and innovation programming at the high school, benefiting its students for many years to come.

In the school's STEM labs and entrepreneurship area, students learn everything from engineering and design to biomedical programming, Hatch said, adding students find ways to be innovative through computer programming, languages and robotics.

"It's going to give all of our students an opportunity to take advantage of electives and really explore what they want to do in life, so they can go off to college or the career field and really take what they've learned here and apply it to their own lives," Hatch said.

The funding has already been used to support the school's students in many different ways, said Principal Andrew Neely.

A couple years ago, the high school started a program called "genius hour" that didn't really take off like officials had hoped it would. But the premise behind it was for students to develop an idea all the way to fruition.

"We used some of the monies that were donated to fund some of those ideas that students had," Neely said.

Another example was a program run through the Sheetz Fellows Program in which high school students were asked to come up with an idea that would better their school.

Neely said Altoona Area's students came up with a lot of great ideas, and through the monies that were set aside from the Hite and Sheetz families, the district was able to fund some of those projects.

One idea that was funded created a space for students in need of personal care products to have access to different toiletries, Neely said.

The school also has a strong club that participates and competes in the Future Business Leaders of America competition, even as far as the state and national levels.

When they go to these competitions, not only do students have to know what they're talking about, but they have to "look the part," Neely said, adding some of the funding was used to help students upgrade their wardrobe.

"We were able to use some of the funds to make that happen so that our students weren't at any disadvantage during the competition," Neely said, adding the funding will be used to "continue and grow" entrepreneurship classes in the future.

Lee Hite said the Altoona community has been good to both of the family businesses through the years, so they wanted to return the favor in a big way.

Before he died in January, Steve Sheetz came up with the innovation center name, Hite said, adding passion and innovation are important qualities for any business owner to have.

The mission of the space is to inspire and impact generations of future students as entrepreneurs, creators and -- most importantly -- leaders, Hite said.

"That is exactly what our joint personal philanthropy and community legacy initiatives are all about -- paying it forward for the well being of our young people and supporting the community as a whole," he said.

Lee and Nancy Hite are both loyal Altoona alumni, graduating in 1962 and 1967, respectively. Steve Sheetz was also a 1965 graduate, Lee Hite said, adding he and Nancy's daughters graduated in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and they now have grandchildren who are proud Mountain Lions.

"With so many connections, memories and great opportunities provided to our families, we feel both a responsibility and pleasure to support and give back to the school and to this valued local community. Both have meant so much to us all," Hite said.

Board President Val Mignogna thanked the families for their support of the district, noting their philanthropic support truly does go a long way in supporting the district's students.

"This is why we all do this; it's for the students in the school district," Mignogna said. "The money that's given here, we actually see it working in the schools. We see teachers get projects funded and students get opportunities that they wouldn't have."

Other business

During Monday's meeting, the board approved an increase in the district's contribution to the Altoona Area Public Library for the 2026-27 school year, increasing from $200,000 to $220,000 to support the library's staffing and operational costs.

Hatch said the amount the district gives each year fluctuates and has been less in recent years. By increasing their contribution, the board is essentially moving the rate "back to what it was at its height" a couple years ago, Hatch said.

The board also approved a confidential settlement with the parents of a student and a new club for students in grades six through 12 -- the AASD boxing, fitness and mentoring group.

The group will be a collaborative effort with district staff, community volunteers, city leaders and other local organizations, with the goal of providing noncontact training instead of actual fighting -- promoting fitness and discipline while giving students mentorship opportunities with adults.

The program will run daily up to four days per week at various locations within the Altoona Area Junior High School, with a targeted start date near the end of September.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.

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