Steel Valley School District - Enrollment and Consolidation

Enrollment and Consolidation

A proposal has been made, by prominent local citizen, David Wassel, to consolidate many Allegheny County school districts to save tax dollars and improve student services. The plan calls for a new district that combines: West Mifflin Area School District, Duquesne City School District and Steel Valley School District. The new district would serve the communities of: Duquesne City, Homestead, Munhall, West Homestead, West Mifflin, Whitaker. The high school in Duquesne School District was closed in 2007 due to low achievement, district financial distress, and low enrollment.

Over the next 10 years, rural Pennsylvania school enrollment is projected to decrease 8 percent. The most significant enrollment decline is projected to be in western Pennsylvania, where rural school districts may have a 16 percent decline. More than 40 percent of elementary schools and more than 60 percent of secondary schools in western Pennsylvania are projected to experience significant enrollment decreases (15 percent or greater). A study of Pennsylvania public school spending, conducted by Standard and Poor's, found that consolidation of the administration with an adjacent school district would achieve substantial administrative cost savings for people in both communities. According to a 2009 school district administration consolidation proposal by Governor Edward Rendell, the excessive administrative overhead dollars could be redirected to improve lagging academic achievement, to enrich the academic programs or to reduce property taxes. Consolidation of two central administrations into one would not require the closing of any schools

Pennsylvania has one of the highest numbers of school districts in the nation. In Pennsylvania, 80% of the school districts serve student populations under 5,000, and 40% serve less than 2,000. Less than 95 of Pennsylvania's 501 school districts have enrollment below 1250 students, in 2007.