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From what I’ve heard and read, the 2026 graduations went well. Graduation gowns were a neutral color. The cords bore the colors of each senior’s original high school. So Youngsville and Sheffield were honored along with Eisenhower and Warren.
From a distance, as a school district retiree, I understand there was an overall welcoming
view of the transferring students.
Congratulations to the students, parents and school staff for dealing with this challenging merger. May there be increased success in the coming school year.
At the same time, caution is fitting. Superintendent Gary Weber reported nearly 250 "childline referrals" this school year. The majority reported neglect, physical abuse, domestic violence and substance abuse. Such situations cause student problems in school with behavior, attendance, academics and mental health.
In Pittsburgh and other urban areas, “teen takeovers" have become more common with downtown violence, shoplifting and intimidation of citizens. Certainly, there were issues away from school that encouraged this. Two were likely a lack of parental presence and guidance and negative influence at home and on the street.
As a native "yinzer," I often listen to KDKA radio, Pittsburgh. Host Marty Griffin pointed out that the Pittsburgh City School District pays more per student (annually) than the suburbs of Mount Lebanon, Fox Chapel and Upper St. Clair though student achievement is much higher in those suburbs. Yes, they are affluent; but it’s not just about money.
A website called ‘openpa.gov’ is very informative. One can click on the ‘school performance’ tab. Select any county in the state and any school district in that county. Interested parties can check out the Warren County School District and the Tidioute Community Charter School. I have.
Bar graphs show the percent of students who are advanced, proficient, basic and below basic in English, math and science in grades three through eight, plus 11 for 2023. Also available is the cost per student in 2024-2025. Following are figures for the aforementioned metropolitan districts. I have averaged the percentages for all seven grades for advanced and below basic, English only, for simplicity. The third figure is annual cost per student. From the 2020 census I add the percentage of homes occupied by married couples.
-- City of Pittsburgh: 11%, 18%, $33,524; 31%
-- Mt. Lebanon: 32%, 3%, $21,286; 73%
-- Fox Chapel: 42%, 2%, $27,178; 80%
-- Upper St. Clair: 39%, 1%, $25,619; 71%
It’s noted that Pittsburgh’s average includes 90 identified neighborhoods with different "vibes." Regent Square differs clearly from the Hill District .
One can assume, all else being equal, that a ‘traditional’ family unit encourages academic success. Of course, there are superb single parents who have raised outstanding kids.
It’s possible that higher "per student" costs in the city are due to extra behavioral counseling, remedial instruction, more violence and possible "wrap around" aides, more security, vandalism, etc.
What’s the point of discussing our district with Pittsburgh area schools? It’s possible that the referral issues Mr. Weber mentioned have some similarities to more urban areas; ‘red flags’ shouldn’t be ignored. We may be even more vigilant about safeguarding the positive assets we have.
At least, taxpaying citizens may find ‘openpa.gov’ a useful reference. Happy Trails,
Terry D. Hallock is a Warren resident.