Mar 11, 2013 4 min read

Students in the Mt. Lebanon School District walk or have parents or friends drive them to school, as the district does not operate buses. And, for many, the walk is long and includes traveling up and down hills in all types of weather.

Not having buses is nothing new in the district, so parents and students are well aware of the policy, and the district attempts to accommodate students by assigning them to the building closest to their homes.

For most, the issue of walking does not come into play until the sixth graders leave elementary school for middle school, of which the district has only two – Mellon, on Washington Road near the municipal building, and Jefferson, on Moffett Street near St. Clair Hospital.

Several parents whose young children attend Markham Elementary School, on the southern end of the municipality on Crescent Drive, would like to see some changes as the elementary students are assigned to Jefferson Middle School, a walking distance greater than to Mellon Middle School.

Seven parents met with members of the school board’s police committee March 5 in an attempt to have the board reconsider the assignment policy enacted May 12, 1997.

Under that policy, which remains in effect, students from Hoover, Jefferson, Lincoln and Markham elementary schools are assigned to Jefferson Middle School, while students from Foster, Howe and Washington elementary schools are to attend Mellon Middle School.

Traveling from homes in the Markham area to Jefferson Middle Schools is a long walk for sixth graders, said a few of the parents, all mothers, who spoke to the committee members.

Ronald Davis, assistant superintendent of secondary education, said the current way the elementary schools are assigned results in a more equal distribution at the middle schools.

However, the policy allows that 30 spaces per year will be reserved for each grade for Markham students to attend Mellon Middle School, and allowances are made for siblings to attend the same school. And, even after the 30 spaces are filled, the district will accept additional requests for Markham students to attend Mellon.

Davis advised the committee that his recommendation was not to change the current policy assigning Markham to Jefferson.

As for the additional requests, Superintendent Timothy Steinhauer said the ultimate goal is to keep class sizes equal in both middle schools.

School board member Jo Posti, and a committee member, said the 1997 policy was to help families that live the farthest away from Jefferson, and, after hearing Davis’ suggestion, she was “comfortable” with keeping the policy in effect.

Board member Lawrence Lebowitz said his children attended Markham and walked to Jefferson, and questioned why parity is so important in assigning students. He said there is available space at Mellon and teachers could be moved. However, Mary Birks, committee chair, said the majority of the committee did not wish the policy to come before the entire board. Birks said the committee was “comfortable as is” and that the policy could be amended.

Parent Kjerstin Klein said in 1997, the board had two choices to assign to Jefferson, Markham or Lincoln elementary schools and she, along with other mothers, questioned as to why Markham was chosen. Birks said she would attempt to reach someone who would know and get back to the parents.

Others told the committee members that complications arose with driving students due to work schedules.

Erin Starzynski said once a Port Authority bus traveled through a Markham neighborhood, but was discontinued due to financial cuts.

“This is going to take more than just this meeting,” Birks said, before adding that the main concerns for middle school students are the three Ls – getting lost, their lockers and eating lunch.