Hyde Elementary School could be closed. Moon's school board wants public opinion about it

MOON TWP. ― Community members are being asked to share their comments on the potential closure of Hyde Elementary School with administrators this week.

Members of the Moon Area School Board and district administrators gathered Monday for a public hearing about the school's future at Moon Area Middle School, with community members sharing their disapproval of the choice during the meeting. Administrators are asking that the community continue to share their opinions through email this week.

The decision to close Hyde Elementary School has been met with strong disapproval from parents during public meetings, with parents saying the school serving low-income students is being targeted and misrepresented by the Moon Area School District superintendent. The school serves the Mooncrest neighborhood, which contains the highest percentage of low-income families and English-as-a-second-language (ESL) students in the district.

During the public hearing Monday, parents continued to voice concerns over the presentation of data provided by Davis Demographics and the Foreman Group, asserting that renovations can cost less than the nearly $10 million suggested in the district's presentation. As the students at Hyde Elementary continue to do well in academic competitions at the district, parents are also pushing back on allegations of lower academic success at the school.

Superintendent vague about 'misinformation'

Superintendent Barry Balaski has repeated at several meetings that there has been "misinformation" at these public meetings and on social media, yet has not publicly addressed what information he believes to be untrue.

District residents can send their comments via email to the superintendent at bbalaski@moonarea.net. According to the school board's solicitor, a vote cannot occur on the matter of closing Hyde Elementary for at least three months after the public hearing.

The situation in Moon Township mirrors several other districts in the area, with several school boards proposing school closures around the greater Pittsburgh area. In Beaver County, administrators at Hopewell Area School District have also begun discussions of school consolidations due to enrollment decline.