News Summary
The Shaler Area School District will hold a community forum to discuss its proposed plan ‘Building for Tomorrow’ on September 29. The forum will address the potential closure of Shaler Area Elementary School and realign grade structures to improve educational stability. Plans include moving fourth and fifth graders to primary schools and sixth graders to middle school, aimed at fostering a stronger community identity. Residents are encouraged to participate and share their views.
Shaler, PA – The Shaler Area School District is set to hold a community forum to discuss its proposed plan titled “Building for Tomorrow.” The forum will take place on Monday, September 29, at 6 p.m. in the auditorium of Shaler Area High School. This meeting aims to address significant changes involving the potential closure of Shaler Area Elementary School located on Scott Avenue, with plans to sell the property for redevelopment.
The plan outlines a series of grade realignments aimed at enhancing the educational experience of students within the district. Currently, the Shaler Area Elementary School serves students in grades four through six. Under the proposed changes, students in fourth and fifth grades would transition to one of the district’s four primary schools: Burchfield, Marzolf, Reserve, or Scott, which traditionally accommodate kindergarten through third grade. Meanwhile, sixth-grade students will move to Shaler Area Middle School, which currently serves grades seven and eight.
The realignment emphasizes the goal of providing a stable educational environment by allowing students to remain in the same school from kindergarten through fifth grade. This move is designed to reduce the number of transitions students face during their formative years, thereby promoting better learning and social development. Additionally, the plan intends to maintain a strong sense of neighborhood identity within the four primary schools, helping to strengthen community bonds.
Discussions surrounding the closure of Shaler Area Elementary and the fate of Reserve Primary School have ignited mixed reactions from residents, with some voicing opposition to impacting the Reserve location. However, the Shaler Area School District remains committed to retaining Burchfield, Marzolf, Reserve, and Scott as K-5 neighborhood elementary schools, emphasizing their importance in local communities.
Under the current timeline, no students will be assigned to the elementary school for the 2026-27 school year; instead, rising fourth graders will continue their education at their local primary schools. Starting in June 2027, both rising sixth and seventh-grade students will advance directly to the middle school, ensuring a phased approach that fosters stability for families and provides the district with adequate time to prepare for future instructional programming and staffing needs.
Additionally, the district will need to make a decision regarding the future of the elementary school’s swimming pool within the next two years. Options being considered include evaluating the pool’s cost and benefit, identifying future locations for a district pool, and exploring rental alternatives for student-athletes. The swimming pool at the elementary school will remain operational through the end of 2027.
Residents who have questions regarding the proposed plan or the community forum are encouraged to contact the district at 412-429-1200, ext. 2801. For those unable to attend the forum on September 29, a recording will be available on the district’s website to ensure all community members have access to the information being shared.
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Additional Resources
- TribLive: Shaler Area Plan Calls for Closing Elementary School
- Wikipedia: Shaler Area School District
- TribLive: Board Hopefuls Vying for Seats in Shaler Area School District
- Google Search: Shaler Area School District
- TribLive Community: Monroeville Times Express
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Pennsylvania
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