North Allegheny student growth is slow but steady, report finds

The slow, but steady growth in the North Allegheny School District is coming at a good pace, according to William Kirk, assistant director of project management and infrastructure at North Allegheny.

“What we’re seeing is a stable housing market, not an explosive one. We like what we’re seeing here,” Kirk said during a discussion of a North Allegheny School District Enrollment and Facilities Report at the Oct. 25 school board meeting.

The enrollment figures help guide planning by the board and administrators for future development.

Kirk said NA uses a variety of indicators to forecast enrollment that include a student enrollment count taken on Oct. 2; average retention rates of students, state Department of Health Live Birth Data; a North Allegheny demographic study updated in May 2022 by Stewman Demographics; and approved, new and active housing developments.

New residential developments, as reported in the Oct. 25 presentation, include 125 approved units in Franklin Park, 32 of which are occupied and 92 are unoccupied. These homes are part of the Nicholson Heights development, Kirk said.

In Marshall Township, there are 419 approved units, with 78 occupied and 341 unoccupied in both the Kingfisher Estates and Randall Plan developments.

In McCandless, there are 36 approved units with 10 occupied and 26 unoccupied, including those at a new development called The Ridge.

Kirk said officials take into account single-family homes and townhomes, not apartments. Once a development is full, it is not considered active.

According to the enrollment and facilities report, NA had 8,502 students on Oct. 1, the second-highest Oct. 1 count since 2019-2020, which was 8,559.

“This is the first time since the pandemic we have an increase in student enrollment,” said Yuko Wong, data manager at NASD.

The report detailed the number of students in each of the district’s 12 school buildings, including seven elementary schools.

NA board Director Elizabeth Warner said some elementary schools seem to house a higher student population than those of similar size and questioned if redistricting was on the schedule.

“Most schools have additional capacity right now, but, honestly, we need to take a close look at that,” Kirk said.

As of Oct. 2, the larger-sized elementary school populations were: Franklin at 738, McKnight at 838, and Marshall at 805.

Of the four smaller elementary schools, Peebles had 400 students as of Oct. 2; Hosack stood at 331; Ingomar at 349, and Bradford Woods at 336.

Combined, these numbers total 3,797. Elementary school enrollment is projected to rise to 4,076 in 2028, according to the Stewman Demographic Study.

Districtwide, student population would increase from 8,502 to a projected 8,798 in 2028.

The last redistricting was in 2021. North Allegheny tries to keep redistricting to every six to eight years, according to a redistricting report that year.

Kirk said $8.1 million in planned upgrades is being completed at Hosack, Peebles and Ingomar elementary schools. These schools are on target for a broader renovation and upgrade in 2026 at an estimated $30 million.

Kirk noted some expansion options include the 11.1 acres of land located next to Hosack Elementary off Peebles Road that was donated to NA in the 1990s. Suggestions include using it for additional parking and athletics. The administration is also “floating the idea” of working with McCandless to get a grant for a training facility for local fire departments, he said.

The district also owns 20 acres of land on Spang Road in Marshall Township that could be used for an additional elementary school if growth in that area warrants. Until then, it could be used for athletic purposes.

Kirk said middle school facilities have the capacity needed through 2028.