McKeesport Area SD votes to close East End Academy, board cites high costs and low enrollment

The McKeesport Area School District board voted on June 4 to close East End Academy effective June 30, 2025, saying the program's low enrollment and high operational costs made continuation fiscally unsustainable.

Board members presented a financial analysis at the special meeting, saying "It costs us approximately $822,000 a year to operate East End Academy" and that sending students to approved external placements would cost roughly $10,000 to $14,000 per student, according to board remarks. The district said it expected to save about $500,000 in the current year by closing the program.

Officials told the public the building's current enrollment is low and that at the start of the next school year only nine students would be affected by the change in the district's alternative education placement. The board emphasized that no layoffs were planned; staff currently funded through the program would be offered other positions within the district where vacancies exist.

Board members said East End Academy originally had been intended to accept students from other districts but that those placements never materialized; under current projections, the district said the program would need about 81 students to break even with salary and operating costs.

During discussion, board members described the closure as a temporary, fiscally driven decision that could be revisited in the future if circumstances change. The motion to close East End Academy was called, seconded and carried by voice vote.

Next steps the board identified included staffing reassignments and planning to place affected students in alternative settings approved by the district. The board moved on to remaining agenda items after the vote.