Results of two traffic studies reveal that a combined high school housing ninth through 12th grades is not feasible for North Allegheny School District.
A high school planning process update was presented at the Aug. 7 school board meeting, specifically with regard to traffic studies.
Ninth- and 10th-grade students attend North Allegheny Intermediate High School on Cumberland Road, and juniors and seniors are housed at the senior high on Perry Highway.
An enrollment count for both high schools in 2023 numbered about 2,700 students, not counting staff, according to an October enrollment and facilities report.
With plans for renovations of possibly both buildings, two options were to consider making one large high school at either of those two schools’ current locations.
“It’s a very serious congestion issue. I’m sorry I don’t have better news to share with you on that study but I think it’s well worth the effort,” said William Kirk, former assistant director of project management and infrastructure, who announced his retirement last school year.
Kirk was joined by NA’s new director of facilities, Brandon Chabola.
A traffic study was first done at the senior high school in February 2023, concluding that Perry Highway does have the capacity for the additional traffic that a combined ninth-through-12th high school would provide, moving that option to the “bottom of the list,” Kirk said.
In the spring, an outside engineering firm conducted a similar study at the intermediate high school. Turning movements and traffic counts were performed at six intersections serving the school to determine existing site-generated traffic and trip distributions, according to the high school presentation. This study was also combined with the results of the senior high traffic study.
The most significant finding was that the southbound cars on Perry Highway approaching Cumberland had a “staggering” 3,000-feet in queue length in the morning hours. Also, several intersections would go from a “grade ‘C‘ to a grade ‘F,’” Kirk said.
Grades are given to intersections by PennDOT with “F” being very poor. Major roadway modifications would be required to make a combined school at NAI possible, according to the presentation.
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“We came to the conclusion that the current public roadway infrastructure does not have the capacity to support the traffic associated with a combined NAI/NASH campus,” Kirk said.
Board member Paige Hardy inquired about ways in which students get to school, such as being dropped off or using the buses. Kirk mentioned that a lot of traffic has to do with parents giving their children rides to and from school, an issue nationwide.
The combined high schools were two options being considered out of five possible renovation scenarios. Other options included keeping the high schools as they are, renovating each of the schools at their current locations or considering a new NAI building at a new site.
Chabola said they will revisit the second option of the feasibility study of renovating both high school buildings. The next steps involve creating building-level steering committees and executive steering committees.
It would be “good for the group to get their eye on this again,” Chabola said.
Further steps include revising the spatial programs accordingly, revising budgets and outlining a development strategy. A targeted subsoil investigation at the schools based on a revised conceptual solution would also be conducted, according to the plan.
Elizabeth Warner, school board president, said while she was excited for all of the benefits of a combined school, she understands that is not an option at this time.
“The possibility of combining schools was something that I was really excited for,” Warner said. “This study was clearly a deal breaker.”
Hardy commented that the traffic study could help with any future planning, especially in regard to how it affects communities that surround the schools.
Natalie Beneviat is a Trib Total Media contributing writer.