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Mt. Lebanon School District

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Coordinates: 40°22′30″N 80°03′04″W / 40.375°N 80.051°W / 40.375; -80.051
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Mt. Lebanon School District
Location
Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania
United States
District information
TypePublic School District
MottoTo Provide the Best Education
Possible for Each and Every Student
GradesK–12
EstablishedJuly 1912
SuperintendentDr. Melissa Friez
Budget$122.2 Million (24-25)
Students and staff
Students5,500
Teachers450
Staff250
Athletic conferenceWPIAL
ColorsBlue and Gold    
Other information
Websitehttp://www.mtlsd.org

The Mt. Lebanon School District is an American public school system that is located in Allegheny County. It serves residents of Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

History

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First years of operation

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The Mt. Lebanon School District was established by decree of the Court of Quarter Sessions in July 1912. With a five-member school board and a population of less than five thousand students, it was designated as a fourth-class district. The district initially encompassed two buildings—a one-room, frame structure that was located on Beadling Road and a six-room, frame structure that was located at the corner of Cedar Boulevard and Washington Road.[1][2][3]

In 1913, a two-year agriculture course of studies was added to the Mt. Lebanon High School curriculum.[4] In 1914, controversy arose when a group of parents of twelve children petitioned the Mt. Lebanon School Board to reimburse them for their children's tuition after they removed their children and re-enrolled them in the Pittsburgh city schools, citing their objection to the "Mt. Lebanon system" of education. According to The Pittsburgh Post, "Prominent among the features in the Mt. Lebanon system" was "the elimination of the periodical, stated examination on which promotions ordinary are based; an expressed tendency to permit each pupil to be his own pacemaker in school work; the elimination of night study and the individual observation of each pupil in order that the school may be fitted to his or her needs." In addition, according to that publication, "The present school term saw the organization of a new force of instructors—their predecessors having been relieved for want of adaptibility to the new system."[5]

1930s

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During the early 1930s, H. V. Herlinger, the superintendent of the Mt. Lebanon School District, approved a "Cadet Teachers" plan to enable residents of Mt. Lebanon who were college graduates with state teaching certificates to receive two years of additional on-the-job training while working as temporary educators within the school district, with the promise that, if they successfully completed their training period and passed their required professional examinations, they would receive full-time teaching jobs at the end of their respective two-year cadet teacher training periods.[6]

1950s

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In 1959, Mt. Lebanon High School was ranked among the top 44 high schools in the United States in a review of American school districts by educators from 120 colleges and universities. The faculty at that time included 3 educators with doctorate degrees, with 62 out of the high school's 75 educators holding master's degrees. Beginning educators were paid $4,200 annually while educators with doctorates earned $8,000 per year. Teachers who resided in Mt. Lebanon and had children of their own were also each awarded an additional $350 per year through the school district's cost of living allowance program for its staff. With a total enrollment of 2,242 students, the high school was home to 11 varsity sports teams and a 165-member band.[7]

1970s

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In 1973, civil rights and social justice activists Ellen Berliner and Anne Steytler were part of a group of fifty parents, students and other community members who filed suit in the Common Pleas Court of Pennsylvania "to prohibit Mt. Lebanon School District from including prayers in its commencement exercises." Berliner's husband and daughter were also two of the plaintiffs.[8]

1990s

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In 1998, the Mt. Lebanon School District was presented with two Blue Ribbon Awards by the United States Department of Education, as well as special Blue Ribbon Award for being the home of one of the eight best fine arts programs in America.[9]

2000s

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In September 2009, the enrollment at Mt. Lebanon High School was 5,302, the per-pupil cost of education was $13,745 per child for that academic year, there was a teacher student ratio of 23.04 to 1 (district average), and 96 percent of students planned on pursuing "full-time or Armed Service education." The beginning salary for a teacher with a bachelor's degree was $43,989 and for a teacher with a master's degree plus 60 credits was $96,420. Seventy-seven percent of the school's faculty held masters' degrees or higher.[10]

Schools

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  • High School: Mt. Lebanon High School
  • Middle Schools: Jefferson Middle School, Mellon Middle School
  • Elementary Schools: Foster Elementary School, Hoover Elementary School, Howe Elementary School, Jefferson Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary School, Markham Elementary School, Washington Elementary School

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ "History." Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania: Mt. Lebanon School District, retrieved online June 21, 2023.
  2. ^ "Educational Reform Started." Ligonier, Pennsylvania: The Ligonier Echo, August 21, 1912, p. 8 (subscription required).
  3. ^ "Consider Radical Changes." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, August 15, 1912, p. 12 (subscription required).
  4. ^ "High School Pupils Learn Agriculture." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 16, 1913, p. 6 (subscription required).
  5. ^ "School Board Is Upholding New System." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Post, October 15, 1914, p. 2 (subscription required).
  6. ^ "Township Solves Problem While Aiding Instructors." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, September 16, 1936, p. 4 (subscription required).
  7. ^ Eskey, Kenneth. "How Mt. Lebanon Made 44 Best List: Top Level Faculty Sparkplugged By Community Spirit of Parents." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, September 29, 1959, Section Two, p. 23 (subscription required).
  8. ^ "Court Suit Asks Bank on Prayers at Mt. Lebanon." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 26, 1973, pp. 1-2 (subscription required).
  9. ^ Niederberger, Mary. "Two teachers taking Blue-Ribbon talents to New York stage." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 30, 1999, p. S12 (subscription required).
  10. ^ "Snapshot," in "Ed Kubit, Mt. Lebanon school board president." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 8, 2010, p. S2 (subscription required).
  11. ^ "Kurt Angle". The Washington Post.
  12. ^ Time Magazine: A Bigger Screen for Mark Cuban, April 22, 2002
  13. ^ Astronaut – NASA
  14. ^ Head Coach – Carnegie Mellon University
  15. ^ "Prank starts 25 years of computer security woes". CTV. Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 7, 2008.
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40°22′30″N 80°03′04″W / 40.375°N 80.051°W / 40.375; -80.051

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