North Allegheny School District
| District type | Public |
| Religious affiliation | None |
| Location | North of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Enrollment 2005-2006 | Approx. 8,041 students |
| Grades | K-12 |
| District location | Suburban |
| District Mascot | Tiger |
| District colors | Black and Gold |
| Average Class Size | 23 |
North Allegheny School District (NA) is located about 12 miles north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It serves an area of 48 square miles, including Marshall Township, the Town of McCandless, and the boroughs of Bradfordwoods and Franklin Park. Not only is the district the largest suburban school district in Allegheny County, but it is one of the largest employers in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, employing over 1,000 people.
The North Allegheny School District
The North Allegheny School District is regarded as one of the best public school systems both in the greater Pittsburgh region and in the state of Pennsylvania. North Allegheny has an exceptionally strong academic reputation and regularly scores above statewide and national averages on standardized tests. 63% of its professional staff possesses either a masters degree or a doctorate. Its budget for the 2005-2006 school year is $104,670,122, or $12,269 per student. North Allegheny serves the municipalities of Bradford Woods Borough, Franklin Park Borough, Marshall Township, and the Town of McCandless. The school district is one of the top 100 employers in the North Hills section of Allegheny County. The school district houses seven elementary schools, three middle schools, one intermediate high school (grades 9-10), and one senior high school (grades 11-12). A total of 8,041 students attend the North Allegheny School District, and the district employs 616 professional staff members.
Athletics and Facilities
The school district offers 24 varsity sports. During the 2004-2005 school year, nine of these sports took WPIAL titles, 18 took section titles, one took a PIAA title. Additionally, the inline hockey team won the 2005 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Roller Hockey League "Penguin Cup".
North Allegheny's primary athletic rival is North Hills, and this rivalry has oftentimes become extremely intense.
The school district owns Newman Stadium which seats 7,500, and a $5.1 million multi-purpose athletic facility called the Baierl Center. In addition, North Allegheny has 31 playing fields, a 6-lane 25 yard pool, 14 tennis courts, and a spa/sauna.
Its schools are:
- 7 Elementary schools (K-5)
- 3 Middle schools (6-8)
- North Allegheny Intermediate High School (9 & 10)
- North Allegheny Senior High School (11 & 12)
Academics
Six of the district's schools (both high schools, all three middle schools, and an elementary school) have received the National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence award. The Senior High School offers 17 Advanced Placement courses, and both high schools offer a combined 32 honors courses. The class of 2006 currently has 12 National Merit Finalists. North Allegheny has earned a reputation for its strong academics and the excellent way in which it prepares its students for college.
Transportation
North Allegheny is also unique in that it owns its own transportation fleet based at the Marshall campus and the NA Transportation Department on Hillvue Lane. Their fleet transports over 9,200 students to 67 different schools and consists of 128 vehicles.
Controversies
Disapproval of Superintendent
North Allegheny's superintendent, Dr. Patricia Green, was the source of some controversy in July 2005. 15-year school board veteran Jim Baierl abruptly resigned, saying he did not want to be a part of offering Green a contract extension. "I don't think she knows what she's budgeting," said Beierle. "I don't agree with her vision, the way she handles students and staff, the curriculum and her leadership in general." However, School Board President Maureen Grosheider disagreed, explaining, "I think the superintendent has done ... what we've asked her to do -- to focus on curriculum and instruction."
Student Website Critical of District
A number of students made news when they reopened a website entitled North Allegheny Sucks during the 2004-2005 school year. The website features a forum, attacks various policies of the School District, and allows students to rate teachers. When North Allegheny administrators attempted to discover who was involved in the website's development during an earlier release of the website, the Pennsylvania American Civil Liberties Union warned North Allegheny that "they don't have a right to investigate these kids" [1]. The ACLU further explained that, "If they start threatening kids to identify the webmaster, they're setting themselves on a collision course with a lawsuit." The local news outlets covered the website both on their broadcasts and online.