Proposed Addition of Classrooms Not Enough for Group Fighting Proposed Peebles Closure

The group Save NA Schools , which has been fighting for months against the proposed closing of any North Allegheny  Elementary School, said the most recent recommendations by Superintendent Dr. Raymond Gualtieri won't do enough to alleviate large class sizes if Peebles Elementary  is closed.

During the March 20 school board meeting, Gualtieri made the following recommendations:

• The administration still believes closing Peebles will help the district "maximize operational efficiencies in order to preserve and enhance educational programs in the future."
• After hearing parent's concerns about the number of spare classrooms if Peebles is closed, Gualtieri recommended five additional classrooms to McKnight Elementary School. The space, located at the east end of the school, is currently under roof, but not built out.  
• In order to complete the work at McKnight Elementary, Gualtieri recommended the closing of Peebles be delayed by one year.
• Gualtieri recommended the formation of community focus groups from each of the remaining elementary schools, to provide input on student redistricting plans.

Click here to see the PowerPoint that supported Gualtieri's report.

Save NA Schools posted the following counter-arguments on its web site :

• Based on the district’s records, elementary enrollment has increased over the last several years.
• Based on the district’s records, there are currently 13 elementary sections operating above the district’s class size guidelines. This has created “empty classrooms” across the district.
• At the school board meeting on March 20th, the administration said it would need to add 10-14 elementary sections next year to keep class size below district guidelines.
• Based on the administration’s March 20th presentation, there are only 14 spare classrooms if the district expands McKnight and closes Peebles.
• Based on information obtained from local developers and realtors,  new housing developments across the district are projected to add 850+ homes to the area.
• If the administration needs to add 10-14 sections to keep elementary class sizes below the district’s guidelines, and only 14 spare classrooms are available after the district expands McKnight and closes Peebles, the remaining buildings would be left with no spare classrooms if class size is held within the district’s guidelines.
• If the board votes to close a building, the district will be wed to higher class sizes both now and in the future.

You can see more of the group's research by clicking here .

At the March 20 meeting, Board President Maureen Grosheider addressed the issue of class sizes.

"I think there’s a point where we’re not going to be able to deliver 20 or 22 kids in a classroom and I think that frankly, North Allegheny’s teachers are strong enough and good enough, as proven by our student achievement report that then can handle 25 or 27 or 28 kids in a class," she said. "I’m not saying that’s necessarily dynamite, but we have to understand that when you reduce class sizes, there’s a financial consequence to reducing class sizes. I would like to see us take a long, hard look at some of our class sizes but I also want to make sure that we don’t get into the pickle that we got into 15 years ago when what we did, we had fairly low class sizes at the elementary level and we increased our numbers at the secondary level to the point we were having 35 kids in a classroom. I don’t think that’s the right thing to do either."

Tara Fisher of Save NA Schools agrees that a class size of 20 students is unrealistic and the group is not advocating a number that low.

"We just want class sizes below 30," said Fisher.

Tell us, do you think the administration has made its case for closing Peebles Elementary? Share your thoughts in the comments box below.

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