Dear NASD Families,
We hope everyone had a positive start to the new school year. The District would like to provide you with an update regarding redistricting for the 2020-2021 school year, along with some important dates for the weeks ahead.
The District began planning for redistricting for the 2020-2021 school year this past spring. School redistricting is the process of redrawing elementary and middle school boundaries to produce an equitable distribution of students among different schools. North Allegheny has experienced significant growth over the past few years. School capacities for our elementary schools have not been able to keep up with that growth. This has resulted in capacity challenges in some of our schools and an imbalance between where students live and where the schools are located. The District is currently utilizing exterior portable classrooms at Bradford Woods Elementary and Marshall Elementary, and we are in the midst of a renovation project at Franklin Elementary that will increase the capacity of the building. Meanwhile, additional growth is still occurring in the northern and western parts of the District.
MAY 2019 COMMUNICATION AND SURVEY RESULTS
In May 2019, the District sent an email to families explaining the reason for redistricting and provided a high-level timeline regarding this process. In addition, parents/guardians were asked to complete a survey to gauge their priorities for the redistricting process. Based on that survey, the District found that families’ top three priorities included:
- Keeping housing plans together.
- Sending elementary school students to the school closest to their home.
- Avoiding sending small groups of students to different middle schools than their elementary school classmates.
North Allegheny appreciates the feedback from all families and is currently using this information to develop a redistricting scenario.
MOVING FORWARD
Over the next several weeks, the District will work to finalize a scenario for redistricting along with a robust transition plan for students and families who will be moving to new schools next year. Below is a timeline for this process:
- September 25, 7:00 p.m., A.W. Beattie Career Center (9600 Babcock Blvd., Allison Park, PA 15101): Final redistricting scenario and transition plan will be shared at the School Board Regular Meeting. School Board Meetings and Committee Meetings are always open to the public. Interested community members are welcome to attend.
- September 26: An email will be sent to all families with the final scenario and transition plan details. Parents/guardians can provide feedback to the District by emailing [email protected] or by offering comments during the informational meeting on October 7.
- October 7, 7:00 p.m., North Allegheny Senior High School (10375 Perry Highway, Wexford, PA 15090): An informational meeting for interested North Allegheny families will be held, highlighting the redistricting scenario and transitional plans from District leaders. School Board members will also be present to hear feedback from families. Community members will have the opportunity to provide comments for up to two minutes per person. There will be no pre-registration for speakers.
- October 23, 7:00 p.m., NA Central Administration Offices (200 Hillvue Lane, Pittsburgh, PA 15237): The School Board will vote on a final scenario for redistricting at its Combined School Board Meeting.
- October 2019 through June 2020: North Allegheny will provide various communications, activities, and resources to families who are changing schools the following year to support students in the transitions.
Information on redistricting can be found at any time on our website at
www.northallegheny.org/redistricting
. We recognize this can be an emotional process for families and we are committed to approaching redistricting in a manner that is transparent and supportive. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we move forward with these plans to accommodate our rapidly growing and flourishing community.
Sincerely,
North Allegheny School District
