Duquesne Councilwoman Elaine Washington addresses John Hansen, the school district’s chief financial officer, at a Tuesday meeting on a potential plan that would merge the Duquesne City and McKeesport Area school districts. (Kellen Stepler | TribLive)
Nickole Nesby, Duquesne’s former mayor from 2018 to 2022, said she is opposed to a potential merger of the Duquesne City and McKeesport Area school districts. (Kellen Stepler | TribLive)
Duquesne school board member Burt Comensky believes some change needs to occur to improve students’ education in the Duquesne City School District. (Kellen Stepler | TribLive)
Ashley Hawkins, of Duquesne, expresses concern about the continuity of special education services if the Duquesne City and McKeesport Area school districts merge, while Duquesne Chief Recovery Officer John Hansen listens during a Tuesday meeting. (Kellen Stepler | TribLive)
If the state Department of Education moves forward with a merger of the Duquesne City and McKeesport Area school districts, Duquesne residents aren’t going down without a fight.
The majority of the 24 people that spoke at a 90-minute meeting Tuesday said they were opposed to consolidating the Duquesne City School District, citing concerns with quality of education, local control and accountability, class sizes, transportation, teacher staffing, finances, safety, and community identity.
“Consolidating our schools is a step backward that threatens to strip Duquesne of its vital community anchor and elementary education center,” said resident Nickole Nesby, who was Duquesne’s mayor from 2018 to 2022. “… Forcing our students into a neighboring district puts an unjust physical and emotional burden on children who deserve to learn safely in their own neighborhoods.”
Last month, the Education Department released a study recommending McKeesport Area as a potential partner to merge with Duquesne.
John Hansen, Duquesne’s chief recovery officer, said state officials are forming an advisory committee to evaluate governance, finances, school facilities, safety, and educational programming of a potential consolidation.
The embattled Duquesne district was declared “financially distressed” by the state in 2000. In 2007, the state closed Duquesne High School because of poor finances and academics.
While Duquesne has since built its fund balance, the state’s report says that, unless corrective action is taken, district funds will be depleted by 2030 due to a shrinking tax base and other factors.
Duquesne operates one K-8building. Its high school students either attend West Mifflin Area or East Allegheny high schools.
Hansen emphasized that the recommendation is not a final consolidation decision. The complete feasibility study, with recommendations, is scheduled to be complete next March.
“It’s a lot to absorb,” he said. “I know things were done with the first round of the study, and there were a lot of feelings of being left out. … This is not a done deal. We’ve got to be able to say — is this the right thing to do?’”
Elaine Washington, a Duquesne councilwoman, raised concerns about the poor academic performance of Duquesne students over the past 20 years — all while the district was under state rule.
Less than 10% of Duquesne students scored proficient or advanced on state assessments in the 2024-25 school year.
Instead of looking into consolidation, Washington said, the state should have looked improving academic instruction at the school.
“I can’t hold a job for 20 years and get a poor evaluation. They’re going to get rid of me, or they’re going to tell me I need to change the way I do my job,” she said. “That’s what should have been done. And now they’re punishing these kids. These kids do not need to be leaving the City of Duquesne.”
In its study, the state saw McKeesport Area as the best optionfor a potential merger for Duquesne — more so than Pittsburgh Public, West Mifflin Area and East Allegheny, which it also studied — because of its in-house career and technical education programming, facility capacity and financial stability.
But Quallan Hawkins, a West Mifflin resident and 2005 Duquesne graduate, noted that McKeesport Area struggles academically.
On English Language Arts assessments, 19% of McKeesport Area students scored proficient or advanced. The rate on math state exams was 15%.
“Are we doing this because it’s academically better for children,” Hawkins said, “or because it’s easier for the state?”
But not all were completely opposed to a potential merger. Duquesne school board member Burt Comensky said he believed something needs to change to improve academic outcomes for students.
“The education of these kids is the most important thing in their lives,” he told reporters after the meeting. “If this district is not educating these kids, it needs to change.”
‘Millions of dollars are leaving Duquesne’
There would be challenges if Duquesne and McKeesport schools merged, the report notes.
Some raised safety concerns and rival gang violence between the two communities. The addition of Duquesne students would double McKeesport’s English Language Learner population, and increase an already-high level of special education students.
Others were concerned about the tax structure and if Duquesne would have any input or representation if its students were part of the McKeesport district.
Hansen said the goal would be to maintain the Duquesne school building, but specifics weren’t clear.
In tuition costs, Duquesne pays roughly $18,000 per each student it sends to East Allegheny or West Mifflin Area high school.
“Millions of dollars are leaving Duquesne to go to other school districts. That’s why we are going broke,” said the Rev. Samuel Chambers. “We have to figure out a way to keep our students here.”
Some speakers encouraged the roughly 60 people in the audience to contact local legislators and share their input on the process. They felt previous opinions had largely been ignored.
“Since (the state Education Department) is not here to answer our questions, contact your legislators,” said Lynetta Smith, a Duquesne teacher. “Email them, call them, get on their nerves. Because it’s the only way that they’re going to have to answer. Or at least we have know that we tried.”
Nesby, the former mayor, referenced a 2023 Commonwealth Court ruling that said the state’s public school funding system is unconstitutional and fails to provide equitable resources to low-wealth districts.
“While the state continues to pass budgets boasting supplemental adequacy funds, the actual release of comprehensive information and localized funds to long-neglected districts like Duquesne remains entirely opaque,” she said. “… Release full transparency on the distribution of adequacy funds, and invest directly into Duquesne’s students, teachers and facilities.
“Our children deserve investment, safety and local education — not erasure.”
About the Writer
Kellen Stepler is a TribLive reporter covering education in Allegheny County. He joined the Trib in April 2023. He can be reached at kstepler@triblive.com.
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