BACK TO SCHOOL: North Allegheny district focuses on connectedness, safety

The North Allegheny School District has two important priorities this year: school climate and safety.

That means making sure all students feel connected and seen, as well as adding two full-time police officers to the intermediate and the senior high schools.

“I'm looking forward to helping them in any way that I can,” said McCandless Officer Mike Metzger, who will be stationed full-time at North Allegheny Intermediate School.

McCandless Police Chief David DiSanti says Metzger and another officer, who will be at the senior high, are two of his best.

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“These two individuals, with their personality, I believe the kids will really, really embrace them being there,” DiSanti said.

The new school resource officers are part of the district's enhanced safety plan.

Those two schools had back-to-back bomb threats last April. The threats turned out to be nothing, but it was still a scare for students, teachers and parents.

Channel 11 sat down with Superintendent Robert Scherrer to talk about safety and connectedness.

“Students are so much more than a test score,” he said.

North Allegheny has more than 8,400 students and they want to make sure their students don't feel like just a number, he said. The district is ranked No. 2 in Pittsburgh and No. 6 in Pennsylvania, and administrators and teachers only want to add to that stellar reputation.

“What is that data telling us about how students feel connected to the building, a sense of belonging?” he said. “Do they have adults they feel comfortable going to? What are the things we can do to affect climate so the kids are excited to be there?”

Homeroom assignments were sent to elementary school students on Thursday, and middle and high school kids got their schedules.

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