Board rejects proposal amid concerns about McKnight school

The North Allegheny school board has rejected a proposal for preconstruction services for the renovation of five elementary schools because the proposal included estimating the cost of converting unused space at McKnight Elementary School into student space.

Some board members said in a February work session that they did not want to enlarge McKnight, the district’s largest elementary school, noting that there is no need for additional classrooms there.

“It is not a good investment,” said board member Tara Fisher, who voted Feb. 22 to reject the $31,520 proposal from Massaro Construction Management to provide information for the assessments for Franklin, Hosack, Ingomar, Peebles and McKnight schools.

The schools were last renovated in 1999 and are due for updates in 2019.

But James Bradley, supervisor of elementary education, said additional space is needed for special education students and for other educational needs.

The area of McKnight being considered for conversion into student space previously held the North Allegheny History Museum and rooms used by the parent-faculty association and for storage. The area has a separate entrance and is separated from the rest of the school by double doors.

Because of the separation, Mr. Bradley said one idea is to move kindergarten classrooms there.

Allyson Minton, a McKnight parent, told the board at both meetings that the school does not have spare space. She said a supply room is doubling as a “sensory room,” with tools that students need on the floor, surrounded by shelves holding other supplies.

“Just because we say we have room in a building, it doesn’t mean we are using the space the way it should be used,” she said.

Mrs. Fisher, Suzanne Filiaggi, Christopher Finley, Richard McClure and Michael Meyer voted against the proposal. Libby Blackburn, Christopher Disque, Scott Russell and Kevin Mahler voted for it.

The board approved agreements for three school psychology interns, one more than the district previously has had per year. Each intern is paid $10,000, using state funds.

Guinevere Maximo, special education supervisor, said the amount of testing for special education services, especially the gifted program, has skyrocketed.

“Last year, we conducted 352 total evaluations as a district. Through Feb. 21 of this school year, we have already completed 475 evaluations and have a number of others currently in process,” she said after the meeting.

Two of the intern agreements were approved unanimously. The third passed 6-3, with Mr. Finley, Mrs. Fisher and Mr. Meyer opposed.