- Congratulations, Keystone Oaks High School Class of 2026! 🎓
- Seven Keystone Oaks employees soar into retirement 🦅
- Keystone Oaks ranks among the top 25 school districts in southwestern PA ⭐️
- Elementary Schools Renovation Project: Summer projects include two renovated playgrounds and new windows and exterior doors 🏫
- Celebrating Success: Spring sports highlights include a high jump championship, playoff appearances 🏆
- Keystone Oaks musicians perform in seven music festivals 🎶
- Fred L. Aiken Elementary School earns Tier 3 fidelity for PBIS program 👏🏻
- Highlighting Excellence: Celebrating recent student successes ⭐️
- Keystone Oaks is sponsoring a free Summer Lunch Program 🍎
- Keystone Oaks Board of School Directors: Upcoming meetings and noteworthy actions from March ✅
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Keystone Oaks High School celebrated its 62nd graduating class on Friday, May 29, 2026. This year’s 142 graduates are planning to pursue 62 different career paths at more than 43 post-secondary institutions across the country. Two students committed to serving in the United States Armed Forces.
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The Keystone Oaks School District congratulates seven individuals who are retiring this year! Together, they have served Keystone Oaks students, staff, families, and the community for 194 years.
The District recognized these individuals both at the Board of School Directors’ May meeting and at the District’s annual Retirement Luncheon, where they celebrated with family and friends, their supervisors, and District administrators.
Thank you for your many years of dedicated service. We wish you all the best as you begin your next chapter!
- Heather Hardy, School Nurse, Myrtle Avenue Elementary School
- Ken Hustava, Physical Education Teacher, Keystone Oaks High School
- Nancy Kraemer, English Language Arts Teacher, Keystone Oaks High School
- Craig Lawhead, School Counselor, Fred L. Aiken Elementary School
- John Murphy, Social Studies Teacher, Keystone Oaks High School
- Terry Twyman, Second Grade Teacher, Myrtle Avenue Elementary School
- Nicole Varrenti, School Counselor, Keystone Oaks High School
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In its annual Honor Roll ranking of southwestern Pennsylvania school districts, the Pittsburgh Business Times ranked the Keystone Oaks School District No. 25 in the region, moving up three spots from 2025. The District has climbed 30 spots since 2011, when it was ranked No. 55.
The ranking examines three years of state standardized test scores and ranks the region's 105 school districts from highest- to lowest-scoring based on a proprietary formula.
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Students and teachers may have vacated the buildings for the summer, but construction crews have arrived at Dormont, Fred L. Aiken, and Myrtle Avenue Elementary Schools, and work is underway to renovate two playgrounds and replace windows and exterior doors at all three buildings.
This work is part of the first phase of the Elementary Schools Renovation Project - an estimated $35 million renovation of all three elementary schools that will take place over the next several years.
The playgrounds at Aiken and Dormont Elementary Schools will be remodeled, and new playground equipment and rubber surfacing will be installed. The work is expected to be completed by mid-July.
Myrtle Avenue Elementary School will be the first elementary school to receive new windows and exterior doors.
The estimated cost of the work being completed this summer is approximately $4.22 million.
In May, the Board of School Directors approved the advertisement of bids for Fred L. Aiken, Dormont, and Myrtle Avenue Elementary Schools for roof restoration and building infrastructure improvements. The District expects this work to begin in the spring of 2027.
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For the second time in four years, Keystone Oaks High School is proud to be home to a WPIAL AA champion in a track and field event!
Senior Carmen Pellarin earned a gold medal in the WPIAL AA High Jump event with a jump of 6 feet, 5 inches. He advanced to the PIAA Championships, where he brought home second place with a jump of the same height. Congratulations, Carmen!
The 2026 spring sports season was a successful one, with teams and athletes from every sport advancing to the WPIAL playoffs or being named to an All-Section Team.
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Varsity Softball. The team earned a spot in the WPIAL 3A playoffs, where they shut out Deer Lakes and Mohawk before facing Mt. Pleasant in the semifinal round.
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Flag Football. The team finished its inaugural season with a record of 9-2 and earned a spot in the WPIAL playoffs, where it faced Moon Area High School.
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Track and Field. Four varsity track and field athletes participated in the WPIAL AA 4x100 relay.
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Varsity Baseball. The team earned a spot in the WPIAL 3A playoffs, where they competed against South Park.
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Tennis. Randen Eury and Beckett Wargo competed in the WPIAL Singles and Doubles tournaments, qualifying for the Doubles Finals.
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Varsity Boys Volleyball. Student athletes Brody Fingers, Andrew Rich, Isaac Russell and Van Burgess were named to the 2A Section 3 All-Section Third Team.
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Since mid-March, 16 Keystone Oaks Middle School and Keystone Oaks High School students have participated in six different Pennsylvania Music Educators Association festivals.
- Senior bass player Kate Moore performed as one of two bassists in the All-State Concert Band, which was under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Gershman, Director of Bands and a Professor of Music at The College of Wooster.
- Senior bassoon player Lucy Brooke and junior French horn player Andreh De La Torre-Alvarado performed in the All-State Orchestra, which was under the direction of Dr. Paul Shewan, Professor of Instrumental Studies, Trumpet, and Conducting at Roberts Wesleyan University. Following a successful audition, Lucy earned the role of principal bassoonist and played solos in multiple pieces during the concert.
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Phoebe Auses (violin), Oliver Davis (viola), Kallie Dibert (trumpet), Erin Ellenberger (oboe), Roslyn Gruber (violin), Mako Morgan (trumpet), and Genevieve Reinard (trombone) participated in the PMEA Junior High Orchestra Festival held at Hampton Middle School. The orchestra was under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Tedford, Professor of Music and Director of Orchestras at Grove City College.
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Zach Dalrymple (trumpet), Andreh De La Torre-Alvarado (French horn), Valeria Hernandez Perez (trombone), Cailyn Lockhart (trombone), and Kate Moore (bass) performed with the PMEA Region 1 Band Festival held at Upper Saint Clair High School. The band was under the direction of Dr. Shelby Chipman, Director of Bands and Professor of Music at Florida A&M University.
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Max Blair (baritone saxophone), Erin Ellenberger (oboe), Mako Morgan (trumpet), Meadow Pluebell (clarinet), and Genevieve Reinard (trombone) participated in the PMEA District 1 West Junior High Band Festival held at Trinity High School. The band was under the direction of Dr. Jason Worzbyt, Professor of Bassoon and Associate Director of Bands at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
- Sixth graders Mirabelle Byrne and Penelope Moorhouse, along with fifth graders Josephine Lockwood and Darya Hasanov, performed as part of the PMEA District 1 Elementary Strings Festival held at Eden Hall Upper Elementary School. The concert under the direction of guest conductor Brian Buterbaugh, the Music Director/Conductor of the York Youth Symphony Orchestra.
- Sixth-grade alto saxophone player Chloe Bryant performed with the PMEA District 1 Elementary Band Festival held at South Fayette High School. The band was under the direction of Eric Brewer, Director of the music program at Waynesburg University.
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The Allegheny Intermediate Unit recently announced that Fred L. Aiken Elementary School has achieved implementation fidelity across all three tiers of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)! Most recently, Aiken Elementary School earned a 100% score in Tier 3 implementation, demonstrating exceptional systems and practices for supporting students with the most intensive behavioral and social-emotional needs.
Achieving fidelity across all three tiers is a testament to the dedication, collaboration, and consistency of Aiken Elementary School’s faculty, staff, students, and families.
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Middle School Culture Day. Keystone Oaks Middle School held its third annual Cultural Day in May, giving students and staff the opportunity to learn about 20 different countries, sample foods from around the world, compete in a World Cup-style soccer tournament, and enjoy a variety of cultural dances.
Organized by English Language Arts teacher Mr. Gavlak, English as a Second Language teacher Lauren Smathers, and a group of 45 students, the day was designed to coincide with the World Day for Cultural Diversity, which urges everyone to do their part to bridge the gap between cultures.
Each Middle School student and staff member was given a passport, which they filled out by attending student-led presentations about the different countries. The event also included an International Food Court featuring foods prepared by Middle School families from the Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Honduras, India, Japan, Nepal, Palau, Sudan, Syria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
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Erie Regional Science Consortium. A group of 12 Keystone Oaks Middle School students recently traveled to Erie, PA, where they had the opportunity to become environmental scientists through participation in a water quality testing program sponsored by the Erie Regional Science Consortium.
Students sailed aboard the historic tall ship Lettie G. Howard, where they collected water samples and later analyzed them to learn how scientists monitor the health of local waterways. This hands-on experience allowed students to apply classroom science concepts in a real-world setting while developing their critical thinking, observation, and data analysis skills.
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Career Days. On May 15, Dormont and Myrtle Avenue Elementary Schools held their annual Career Day events, giving students the opportunity to learn from three dozen local professionals representing career fields ranging from beekeeping to video game marketing.
In several of the presentations, students participated in hands-on activities that allowed them to further explore different careers. Thank you to school counselors Steve Hope and Desiree Krawchyk, and all of the volunteers, for making this fun day of learning possible!
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Gene Kelly Nomination. Congratulations to Keystone Oaks High School’s Stage Crew for its nomination in the Outstanding Crew / Technical Execution category for the 2026 Gene Kelly Awards. This nomination recognizes the crew's work on this year’s spring musical, Mamma Mia!
The Gene Kelly Awards are a program sponsored by the Pittsburgh CLO that recognizes and encourages student achievement while focusing the attention of the community and school districts on the importance of musical theater and arts education. The program began in 1991 and this year, 37 schools participated in the Gene Kelly Awards.
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5th Grade KOffee Shop. The temperature may have been cool, but the coffee was hot and the enthusiasm was palpable for the fifth annual Dormont Elementary School 5th Grade KOffee Shop event. Community members lined up along the sidewalk for more than an hour to purchase baked goods, coffee, and books from Beyond Bedtime Books - all to support the students’ efforts to raise funds for the Mario Lemieux Foundation. Through their efforts, students raised nearly $1,750 this year! |
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Kindergarten Social. For the third consecutive year, Keystone Oaks Middle School students hosted the Kindergarten Social, an event designed to engage incoming kindergarten students and their families.
Led by middle school teacher Andy Bell, nine middle school students wrote, illustrated, and narrated digital stories about kindergarten and school. They also each created an introductory video and shared their favorite kindergarten memory. Throughout the evening, families rotated through different classrooms where students shared their stories.
All of their work is housed on a website that will be made available to new kindergarten families this summer.
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Girls Who Code. Junior Khadija Hassan has been selected to participate in the Girls Who Code Pathways Program, a national competitive computer science program for high school students. The Pathways Program is a free, virtual experience that introduces students to in-demand fields such as data science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and web development. Students complete hands-on, project-based coursework using real programming tools, build portfolio-ready projects, and connect with a national network of peers and technology professionals through mentorship and speaker events. Selection into the program reflects a strong interest in computer science and a commitment to developing skills that are highly relevant in today’s technology-driven world. |
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Invention Convention. From charging ports, to lights, storage hooks, seat cushions, basketball hoops, and more, 5th graders at all three elementary schools came up with creative ways to improve their desks, lockers, and chairs, and their ingenuity was on display during the Invention Conventions held at each school.
As part of this annual project, students spend several weeks interviewing their peers to gather feedback. They then draw up a plan, create a prototype, and construct a final project, which they display for students and staff. Thank you, Mr. Colf and Mrs. McShane, for coordinating this fun way for students to learn about the design process!
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Future-Driven Schools. In May, Keystone Oaks High School Principal Michael Linnert, Ed.D., participated in the Future Driven Schools Gallery Walk event, where he highlighted the Golden Eagles Freshman Academy that will be implemented at the high school beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. Keystone Oaks was one of nearly 40 school districts represented at the event, which was hosted by The Grable Foundation, AASA (The School Superintendents Association), and The Public Education Promise. |
The Keystone Oaks School District is sponsoring a free lunch program this summer beginning on Monday, June 8, 2026. Through the program, which is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, a free, nutritious bagged lunch will be available to any child 18 years of age or younger from any community at five distribution sites throughout the District. The program will run Monday through Friday throughout the summer.
Alvern Gardens, Castle Shannon
10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Keystone Oaks High School (Entrance C31 behind the building)
11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Wilson Park, Green Tree
11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Dormont Recreation Center
11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Castle Shannon Library
12:15 p.m. - 1 p.m.
No photo identification or sign-up is required for children to be able to receive lunch. Program guidelines from the Pennsylvania Department of Education require that meals be eaten on site.
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The Board of School Directors will hold its June Work Session Meeting on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, and its Business/Legislative Meeting on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. Both meetings will begin at 7 p.m. in the Board Room. The agenda will be posted online 24 hours prior to each meeting.
The Keystone Oaks Board of School Directors took the following noteworthy actions at its April and May meetings:
- The Board approved the 2026-2027 Proposed Final Budget, with estimated expenditures of $55,191,85, expenses of $50,740,548, and a tax rate of 22.7122 mills. The approval of the Final General Fund budget is scheduled for June 16, 2026.
- The Board approved a new Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Keystone Oaks School District and the Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ, effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029.
- The Board hired the following individuals:
Casey Biglin - High School English Teacher
Mandy Burkett - School Nurse
Kaleb Meyer - Special Education Teacher
and Transition Coordinator
Anna Milano - High School Health &
Physical Education Teacher
Melissa Parrucci - School Nurse
Jennifer Frink - High School Secretary
Anthony Dinardo - Food Service
- The Board approved GovConnection, Inc. as the successful bidder for the security camera project at Keystone Oaks Middle School and Keystone Oaks High School. The $155,205 project will be paid for through a grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. The cameras are expected to be installed in the summer of 2027.
- The Board approved funding for Educators Rising and Odyssey of the Mind to compete in national competitions for their respective activities.
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