The Pittsburgh School District Mega-Thread! (Ross Township, Lebanon: middle-class, chapel, homes)

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Hello friends. There seems to be an outpouring of people requesting information on Pittsburgh school districts either because they are relocating here and worry for their children or are trying to get jobs in education in the Pittsburgh region.

I know the entire "school district thing" can be quite confusing and most people are looking for information on what locals consider the "best" public school districts.

There are several websites that can also help, but I've noticed not all the websites are consistent in their data, and furthermore, if you want statistics straight from the department of education in Pennsylvania (such as average test scores) you have to pay for the service. It is hard to get a concrete and substantial ranking.

So I (and we) are here to help you! I will list what I believe to be the top 10 school districts in the Pittsburgh region. My knowledge comes simply from my own experiences from living in Pittsburgh my whole life, my close friends who are education majors and teachers throughout the area, my own personal research, and what we've all seen and discussed in many threads on this very forum.

Everyday I will also add what cities and towns the school districts serve, what county they are in, and where in proximity to Pittsburgh they are, etc. I'm sure other people will chime in and share their own knowledge on the subject matter.

Also, take note, although these may be what most people would agree are roughly the top 10, I am in no way implying that there aren't many, many, other great options in Pittsburgh. These schools simply seem to stand out in excellence.

In no particular order:

North Allegheny School District
North Hills School District
Pine-Richland School District
Hampton Township School District
Fox Chapel School District
Mt. Lebanon School District
Upper St. Claire School District
Peter's Township School District
Franklin Regional School District
Quaker Valley School District

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North Allegheny School District

North Allegheny School District serves the northern most suburb of Pittsburgh known as Wexford, roughly 12 miles north of the city or about a 25 minute drive. The school district is in Allegheny Township. The actual towns and boroughs who attend the school district include Marshall Township, the Town of McCandless, and the boroughs of Bradford Woods and Franklin Park. The property and homes in the area are traditionally quite expensive and that entire region to the north of Pittsburgh is booming and growing. This area contains a huge retail and restaurant component. This is also where Christina Aguilera went to school. The zip code is 15090.

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North Hills School District

North Hills School District also serves a northern suburb of Pittsburgh and is just south of Wexford but north of Pittsburgh. It is a very short drive outside of the city and is where Ross Park Mall is located along with McKnight Road, another huge business and retail oriented center. The school district is in Allegheny County. It compromises Ross Township and West View Borough. While Ross Township homes can be quite pricey, the area is traditionally a bit less expensive than Wexford and would be considered middle-to-upper class. West View, on the other hand, is very much a traditional middle-class area. The zip code is 15229.

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Pine-Richland School District

Pine-Richland School District also serves a northern suburb of Pittsburgh. It is located just slightly north and northeast of Wexford, roughly 15 miles outside of the city of Pittsburgh. The school district is in Allegheny County. It compromises Richland Township and the Township of Pine. Both are traditionally very wealthy areas similar to Wexford. It is somewhat less commercial and more rural than Wexford. The zip code is 15044.

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Hampton Township School District

Hampton Township School District also serves a northern suburb of Pittsburgh. It is located slightly east and southeast of Wexford. It is a bit more awkward to reach outside of the city of Pittsburgh as it is not directly off the 279/79 corridor. It compromises Hampton Township and Allison Park. Property can range from reasonable to quite expensive. It is still a rural but flourishing community. The zip code is 15101.

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Fox Chapel School District

Fox Chapel School District severs an area roughly 12 miles east of Pittsburgh. It is easily accessible via route 28. It compromises a variety of economically different places including the boroughs of Aspinwall, Blawnox, Fox Chapel, and Sharpsburg as well as Indiana and O'Hara townships. Several of those areas are very much middle class or even slightly depressed areas (not expensive!) such as Sharpsburg, Aspinwall, and Blawnox. However, Fox Chapel and O'Hara township contain some of the wealthiest homes in all of Pennsylvania. The Fox Chapel manors and estates are mansions where many local celebrities reside including the Heinz estate. This school district is in Allegheny County and the zip codes are 15215 and 15238.

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Mt. Lebanon School District

Mt. Lebanon School District serves an area roughly 12 miles south of Pittsburgh. You will use tunnels to get to and from the city and Mt. Lebanon. It compromises only Mt. Lebanon Township and there is currently no bus service. Mt. Lebanon is a very renown and established area of Pittsburgh. Homes range from somewhat reasonable to quite expensive. It is also close to the retail and business district of South Hills including South Hills Village and the Galleria. The main artery to and from Mt. Lebanon is Rt. 19. The district is in Allegheny County and the zip code is 15228.

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Upper St. Clair School District

Upper St. Clair School District serves another suburb of Pittsburgh that is south of the city and along Rt. 19. It is slightly further "down" Rt. 19 past Mt. Lebanon. It compromises only the Township of Upper St. Clair. It is a bit more rural than Mt. Lebanon but is still mostly middle to upper class property. Upper St. Clair is also very close to the South Hills commercial and business district. The school district is in Allegheny County and the zip code is 15241.

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Peter's Township School District

Peter's Township School District is the new kid on the block. It is also along Rt. 19 but is slightly further from the city than Upper St. Clair and is roughly 17 miles south of Pittsburgh. It compromises Peter's Township, and the towns of McMurray and Venetia. I say new kid on the block because this area is also booming from new wealth and huge development. The property and homes are traditionally fairly expensive and the district is actually in Washington County. The zip codes are 15367 and 15317.

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Franklin Regional School District

Franklin Regional School District serves an area roughly 18 miles east of Pittsburgh. The main artery to and from this area is I-376 and Rt. 22. It serves the Borough of Murrysville and the towns of Export and Delmont. These places are in Westmoreland County and Murrsville is also a growing area. Property ranges from quite reasonable from old established neighborhoods to extremely expensive in the new development from new wealth. The zip codes are 15668, 15632, and 15262.

This is my personal favorite suburb and school district.