Jeannette's mayor calls for a merger between Jeannette and Hempfield school districts
JEANNETTE, Pa. (KDKA) — The mayor of Jeannette is calling for a merger between the school districts in Jeannette and Hempfield Township.
Despite not being on the school board, Curtis Antoniak said he may lose his job as Jeannette's mayor because of his belief that Jeannette and Hempfield Township area schools should merge.
Antoniak will tell you that he's a Jayhawk through and through, but he said this isn't about sports teams or community identity. It's about academics and students' futures, he said.
According to Antoniak, Jeannette's ever-shrinking and struggling school district's time is up and change is needed.
"People with families are not buying homes here because of the school district," Antoniak said.
According to U.S. News and World Report and the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Jeannette's graduation rate, overall district rank, math proficiency and reading proficiency are in the bottom 50 percent in the state.
This is for a total student population of just under 1,000. For Hempfield, its numbers are significantly higher.
The Jeannette School Board would be the one to make the call toward any merger and that would take time if it were to happen.
"We definitely need five school board members to really think about it, to approach Hempfield for a school merger for the betterment of our children and our town," Antoniak said.
KDKA-TV spoke to the parents of Jeannette students about the idea of the Jayhawks flying into the Hempfield Area School District.
"My wife and I, we've been hoping they'd merger with one of these closer school districts," Scott Hicks said. "I do believe it would provide a better economic situation and educational opportunity."
"I think it would take away from our kids," Danyel Weishorn said.
KDKA-TV has reached out to several Jeannette and Hempfield school board members to get their take on the issue but is awaiting a reply.
Jeannette's mayor said even if the school board pursued a merger, it would take a minimum of five years.