The Moon Area School District is located about 13 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It serves a portion of the West Hills/Airport Area

West Hills (Pennsylvania)

The West Hills is a term generally used to collectively describe the western suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A smaller portion of the area is known as the Airport Area....

 that includes Crescent

Crescent Township, Pennsylvania

Crescent Township is a township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 2,640 at the 2010 census....

 and Moon

Moon Township, Pennsylvania

Moon Township is a township along the Ohio River in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. Moon is a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area and is located northwest of Pittsburgh. The origin of its name is unknown for certain, although it has been suggested that it derives from a...

 townships. The district's administration offices are located inside the new Moon Area High School, on Tiger Trail, 8353 University Boulevard, Moon Township.

Moon Area School District facilities

The district currently owns seven schools all through out Moon Township

• • J.A. Allard Elementary School
  • J.H. Brooks Elementary School
  • R. Hyde Elementary School
  • McCormick Elementary School –
  • Bon Meade Elementary School
  • Moon Area Middle School
  • Moon Area High School
    Moon Area High School
    Moon Area High School is a public high school located in the Moon Area School District in Pennsylvania. The school serves students in grades 9 through 12 from Crescent and Moon townships. It is now located at 8353 University Boulevard...
    
    

Allard, Hyde and McCormick elementary schools are 'sister schools' as the three buildings are identical.

Academic achievement

Senior High School

PSSA Results

11th Grade Reading

2009 – 76% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 65% of 11th graders on grade level.

2008 – 83%, State – 65%

2007 – 83%, State – 65%

11th Grade Math:

2009 – 65% on grade level. In Pennsylvania, 56% of 11th graders are on grade level.

2008 – 73%, State – 56%

2007 – 76%, State – 53%

11th Grade Science:

2009 – 54% on grade level. State: 40% of 11th graders were on grade level.

2008 – 42%

Middle school

In 2009, the 8th grade was ranked 31st out of 141 western Pennsylvania middle schools based on three years of student academic achievement in PSSA

Pennsylvania System of School Assessment

The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment is a standardized test administered to public schools in the state of Pennsylvania. Students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11 are assessed in reading skills and mathematics. Students in grades 5, 8, and 11 are assessed in writing skills...

s in: reading, math writing and one year of science. (Includes schools in: Allegheny County

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Allegheny County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,223,348; making it the second most populous county in Pennsylvania, following Philadelphia County. The county seat is Pittsburgh...

, Beaver County

Beaver County, Pennsylvania

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 181,412 people, 72,576 households, and 50,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 418 people per square mile . There were 77,765 housing units at an average density of 179 per square mile...

, Butler County

Butler County, Pennsylvania

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 174,083 people, 65,862 households, and 46,827 families residing in the county. The population density was 221 people per square mile . There were 69,868 housing units at an average density of 89 per square mile...

, Fayette County

Fayette County, Pennsylvania

Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the2010 census, the population was 136,606. The county is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area....

, Westmoreland County

Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 369,993 people, 149,813 households, and 104,569 families residing in the county. The population density was 361 people per square mile . There were 161,058 housing units at an average density of 157 per square mile...

, and Washington County

Washington County, Pennsylvania

-Government and politics:As of November 2008, there are 152,534 registered voters in Washington County .* Democratic: 89,027 * Republican: 49,025 * Other Parties: 14,482...

Construction controversy

Moon Area School Board members, in 2004, voted to undertake a massive renovation project of the school district's middle school and high school campus. The construction, set to begin after the 2005–06 school year, prompted township residents to elect a new majority of school board members opposed to the construction plans. The plan was halted in 2006 after a 5–4 school board vote.

The new plan calls for building a new high school and renovating the current high school, making it the new middle school.

The school earned a poor grade, a "D-" according to Sunshine Review

Sunshine Review

Sunshine Review is a nonprofit wiki promoting proactive disclosure of government information online. The organization developed a ten-point transparency checklist to evaluate if government websites proactively and voluntarily disclose information to the public and media.The wiki-based website was...

's transparency checklist, for not disclosing information on the school's website.

District employee contracts

In March 2007, Moon Area School Board approved a five-year contract for the district's support staff. The new contract included an increase of 2.85 percent and the support staff members must now pay part of their health care benefits.

Teacher strike, eventual contract (2010–2011)

In November 2010, Moon Area School District teachers went on strike for three weeks before returning to the classroom.

In June 2011, Moon Area School Board members approved a five-year contract with the teachers union that included no raise the first year and for salary increases as follows in the next four years of the deal: 4 percent, 3.2 percent, 4.5 percent and 4.4 percent.

School board votes to furlough at least 20 staff members

Without any warning, Moon Area School Board members voted, 7–2, to furlough at least 20 staff members in June 2011.

District in the spotlight

Given the district's location to the Pittsburgh International Airport and access to the city, many of the school's students, faculty and buildings have been thrust into the spotlight.

The school's marching band has, at times, performed at the airport for presidential visits.

Some notable spotlights include:

• Scenes from the 1979 movie The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh
  The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
  The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh is an American sports/fantasy comedy film that was released in 1979. The movie was directed by Gilbert Moses and co-produced by David Dashev and Gary Stromberg. It was produced by Lorimar and distributed by United Artists. The rights to the film are currently owned by...
  
  were shot in the gym at the high school.
• President Gerald Ford
  Gerald Ford
  Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
  
   made a surprise visit to Moon a day after pardoning President Richard M. Nixon on Sept. 9, 1974.
• A day after grabbing the Democrat nod for president, then-Vice President Al Gore
  Al Gore
  Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
  
  held a rally at the school's gym on March 16, 2000.