Break over for Butler students
Butler students returned to school Wednesday, while the district's leadership is in the midst of a transition.
“Everything has been going smoothly, the bus transportation always runs a little slowly on the first days of school until everyone gets adjusted,” said William Pettigrew, acting superintendent.
Pettigrew, a retired superintendent who has been filling in with the district since February, will have his final day with the district Thursday.
The new superintendent Brian White will start Friday. White, the superintendent of the Chartiers Valley School District in Allegheny County, said Wednesday he has been spending many of his evenings recently attending open houses at Butler's elementary schools.
Wednesday morning he rode a school bus full of elementary students from Butler to Center Township Elementary School, something he has done throughout his career.
“There's nothing quite like the excitement of kindergartners going to school for the first time,” White said. “Every year I've ridden a bus to school. It reminds you why we do what we do.”
White said he took note of the pride that teachers and families took in their school buildings. He was also impressed with the teachers and community members who organize the backpack initiative at McQuistion Elementary School which provides needy students with food for the weekends. More information about the program is available at 724-214-3900.
White was hired by the school board on Aug. 2 under a five-year contract.
Slight drop
Enrollment figures provided by the district Wednesday showed a small decrease, which is in keeping with the trend in the district in recent years.
At the end of the 2016-17 school year, the district had 6,488 students and on Wednesday it had 6,435 in grades kindergarten through 12. During the 2003-04 school year, the district had 8,455 students.
Some families move in or out of the area over the Labor Day weekend, so student enrollment is prone to change over the first two weeks of school, Pettigrew said.
The kindergarten class to start this year has 400 students and the first-grade class has 398. Eleventh grade this year has 538 students, while 12th grade has 584. The 2017 graduating class has 521 members.
Summit not ready
Summit Township Elementary School students Wednesday were bused to Broad Street Elementary School where they spent part of last year while work continues on their school building.
Engineers have been flushing water through the pipes at the Summit school and were planning to test the water there for chlorine and pH levels Wednesday, according to a memo posted to the district's website.
If the chlorine and pH levels were consistent, then they would start testing for lead and copper levels, the memo said.
