The North Allegheny School Board approved the purchase of property near Peebles Elementary School for $340,000 during its May 7 meeting as a special voting item.
The approximately one-half acre of property is located at 8613 Peebles Road and is owned by two property owners, as listed on the Allegheny County Real Estate Portal.
The property is to the left of the entrance of Peebles Elementary upon entering the school’s driveway. There is a home on the property.
The land will be a beneficial addition to that school’s campus, according to North Allegheny’s superintendent, Dr. Brendan Hyland.
“The board immediately recognized this property was a valuable asset for the district and the Peebles community, offering significant benefits,” Hyland said.
For starters, it will substantially improve safety by providing better and less congested entrance and exit points for buses and walking students, he said.
“With the expanded campus space and improved sightlines, traffic patterns will be safer during a normal school day and for all school-related activities,” he said.
Secondly, the acquisition represents a strong financial value to the district, he said.
“The timing of this purchase is also ideal, given that we are in the initial stages of planning for potential renovations at Peebles Elementary, allowing for increased on-site accommodation,” Hyland said.
The board passed the item unanimously. School board director Richard McClure also noted its benefits.
“This is an awesome opportunity for the school to purchase some property that will greatly enhance our access to and from Peebles and possibly add some parking there,” McClure said.
School board President Elizabeth Warner echoed his comments.
“As a Peebles parent, I’m very excited about this item,” she said.