McKeesport Area to close alternative education school

The board cited low enrollment and financial constraints as the reason for the East End Academy’s closure.

The McKeesport Area School Board approved closing the district’s school for alternative education students.

During Wednesday’s meeting, the board unanimously agreed to shutter the East End Academy, blaming low enrollment for the decision.

The academy, located inside McKeesport Area High School, will officially close June 30.

“This is the alternative education program that deals with the expulsions,” said Director Jason Pavlecic. “This is not the emotional- support side. We will still maintain the emotional support staff within the district.”

Pavlecic said the change would affect nine students who would have been enrolled in the alternative education program for the next school year. It’s unclear where those students will be moved to.

Pavlecic said it costs the district approximately $822,000 to operate the academy.

He said that if the district had sent the students currently in the academy to another school program approved by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, they could have saved $500,000.

“Over the course of the last five years, we would have been able to save between $2-$2.5 million,” Pavlecic said.

The board said the closure will not result in any staff members being furloughed. Pavlecic said the staff will be offered another position within the district.

“For us to be able to break even with the amount of money we’re spending over there, we would have to have 81 students placed in that building per year for us to break even with our salaries, etc.,” Pavlecic said. “But if we tried to put 81 students in the location that it’s currently in, we probably wouldn’t have enough room. So we would probably have to expand that, which, if we expanded that, it would probably inflate our costs.”

Proposed budget

On Wednesday, the board announced they plan to approve the final budget for the upcoming school year during the June 11 regular meeting.

The preliminary spending plan does not include a property tax increase and keeps the current millage rate of 20.96.

The budget includes $86.5 million in expenditures, a 5% increase from 2024-25, and $83.8 million in revenue, with a 2% increase from 2024-25.

In other business:

• Next week, the board is expected to accept the resignation of district Police Chief Ray Andrekanic, officially starting on June 30. In the same meeting, the board is expected to hire a new police chief, but they have not named who.

• Next week the board will be voting on eight building projects in the amount of $131,126.