The North Allegheny School District is seeing the highest enrollment in its history, a trend that administrators do not see ending in the near future.
“It has been another banner year in North Allegheny. Our enrollment continues to grow,” Superintendent Robert Scherrer told board members Nov. 13.
Roger Sechler, director of business operations, said there are 8,559 students in district schools this year, an increase of 61 from last year and 404 from 2015. But most of the growth is in the elementary grades, he added, with 147 additional elementary students this year.
Enrollment is also rising faster than predicted in a 2017 study by demographer Shelby Stewman.
“I don’t think there was any scenario that had us growing at the elementary level this quickly,” Mr. Sechler said. “We are two years ahead of schedule and well off the charts on what grades we thought that growth would come in.”
This year’s additions to Franklin and McKnight elementary schools, along with the planned 2020 redistricting, will hold them for a while, he said, but administrators and board members might want to look at possibilities for future expansion.
The district owns 20 acres on Spang Road in Marshall and 11.1 acres adjacent to Hosack Elementary School in McCandless. The latter, a former Army base, was deeded to the district for community use.
Mr. Sechler said there are two buildings on the Hosack property, but the former barracks is in “severe disrepair” and will have to be demolished. The land could be developed for more school space, additional parking, fields, a maintenance garage or some partnership with McCandless.
After board member Libby Blackburn questioned how much it would cost to develop fields there, Mr. Sechler said he has asked VEBH Architects for initial estimates on building fields and demolishing the barracks.
Board member Christopher Finley said that land would be a perfect home for the JROTC rifle team. “We don’t need to make them beg for a place to practice,” he said.
Board member Michael Meyer questioned whether the district should sell the Spang Road property to a developer.
“This is prime land that could go for a record amount of return per acre,” he said, adding that the district could get approximately $1.5 million for it.
The annual enrollment and facilities report also noted that, while North Allegheny continues to be mostly white, “we will continue to see diversity enhanced throughout the district,” Mr. Sechler said.
In 2015-16, 82.74% of students were white, and 13.83% were Asian, the next highest demographic. This year, 75.04% are white and 17.27% are Asian. African American enrollment has held steady at 1.7%.
suburbanliving@post-gazette.com.
First Published: November 21, 2019, 5:38 p.m.
