Steel Valley School District officials have opened discussions with Port Authority of Allegheny County to possibly alter routes and other measures to provide busing for students.
School board president Donna Kiefer made the announcement during her report at a meeting on Thursday.
Kiefer said she met with the mayors of Homestead, Munhall and West Homestead, Port Authority chairman Bob Hurley, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and his executive assistant Austin Davis, and other local officials on July 18.
“We discussed quite a few scenarios,” Kiefer said.
Steel Valley is a walking district, meaning it does not provide busing. All but one of its schools is in Munhall; Barrett Elementary is in Homestead.
There are about 1,580 students enrolled in the district, not counting charter or cyber charter students.
The Port Authority meeting was several months in the making.
“I was on cloud nine that I actually got them all together,” Kiefer said. “We've just opened the line of communication. It was hard to get everybody together let alone discuss this stuff.”
“I think some things can possibly be done working through the Port Authority, with their cooperation naturally,” Munhall Mayor Raymond Bodnar said on Thursday evening. “The school directors are trying, and everybody's in agreement that we need to help our kids get to school. Some of them have quite a way to go. I'm hoping some kind of solution can be found so the kids can be taken care of.”
District business manager John Zenone was named the point man between the district and the Port Authority. Zenone will update the school board of any developments.
Kiefer said Hurley plans to discuss Steel Valley area transportation at a Port Authority union meeting in September.
School directors had a brief executive session to discuss personnel matters prior to voting on agenda items or hearing citizens' comments.
The board unanimously approved the administration to enter into negotiations with Tower Engineering to provide engineering services for current and future projects.
It accepted a $96,335 donation from the Campbell Educational and Community Foundation to purchase educational items for Barrett Elementary School. It approved the participation of the district in a parental involvement survey as a research study project, and the purchase of science kits.
Michael DiVittorio is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-664-9161, ext. 1965, or mdivittorio@tribweb.com.
