Student fights have Penn Hills SD considering changes at middle school

PENN HILLS, Pa. — Concerns over student fights and the Penn Hills School District’s financial standing led to passionate pleas during a town hall meeting Monday night.

During the meeting, the school board discussed a new security plan for Linton Middle School to help address fights and other student behaviors, Channel 11’s news exchange partners at TribLIVE reported.

The board talked about adding youth engagement specialists, posting retired officers at the front door and moving fifth graders to the elementary school, leaving students in grades 6-8 at Linton, according to TribLIVE. Youth engagement specialists are trained to deescalate situations with kids.

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Parents said middle schoolers fight every day.

Teachers raised concerns over students not being able to take certain textbooks home because there aren’t enough for all of them, TribLIVE reported.

Another issue for the district is its debt, which stands at more than $172 million. State officials developed a financial recovery plan, which board president Erin Vecchio touched on.

“This whole financial recovery plan has totally ruined this district,” Vecchio said. “We cannot continue down this path by hurting the kids’ education, by putting people out of their houses because of people’s mistakes. We will not put a teacher or student in danger because of their cuts.”

When it comes to fights, Vecchio, who called the town hall meeting, recommended a three-strike policy, TribLIVE reported.

“You can get caught three different times and, if you go above that, you’re gone,” Vecchio said. “I’ll expel as many kids as I have to to make these schools safe.”

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