McKeesport Area district students returning to new security measures, learning initiatives

Summer vacation may be coming to a close, but administrators in the McKeesport Area School District haven't stopped working.

They've been busy handling budget cuts, new security measures and learning initiatives.

In the wake of school shootings and recent school threats in our area, safety is top of mind for parents as their students prepare to head back to class.

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The district is entering its second year of a five-year plan to implement a number of security upgrades.

“We are continuing to heighten our awareness around security," said McKeesport Area School District Superintendent Dr. Mark Holtzman.

Over the summer, the local fire and police departments held a fundraiser, then donated money to the school district that allowed it to buy another outdoor metal detector to be used at the district's stadium.

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The district was also able to hire an additional security guard for each building, totaling more than a dozen guards who will be stationed throughout the district.

In addition to these new security measures in the five-year plan, the district is also integrating technology initiatives.

In a first-time pilot program, the district is implementing a one-to-one initiative under which third-graders in each of the elementary schools will have an iPad.

Finding creative ways to work around budget cuts has been important for Holtzman.

“We unfortunately had to cut another million dollars worth of staff. We also had to look at ways, we had to raise the taxes above the index, which was a very challenging thing," Holtzman said.

This year the district had to eliminate positions in the classroom and the library. It wasn't an easy decision for the board to make

“I think, for me, I often take a lot of these things very personally because it means a lot. My son's a eight-grader here at the middle school and everything that affects him, affects our students," Holtzman said.

Students return to school on Aug. 22.

Channel 11 News is your home for Back to School coverage.

We’ll have teams of reporters and photographers, as well as Chopper 11 and traffic reporter Trisha Pittman guiding you through the first days of the school year, every weekday on
Channel 11 News from 4:30 to 7 a.m. 

Cox Media Group