Inside the Safest School in America UPDATED 02/28/18

For $100,000 more than what the municipality wants the school district to pay for 21 kids to use the rifle range.





Update February 26, 2018 8:38 AM

From: Dr. Timothy Steinhauer [mailto:noreply@mtlsd.net]
Sent: Friday, February 23, 2018 3:02 PM
To: Mt. Lebanon School District Families
Subject: Community Conversation About Safety & Security

Dear Mt. Lebanon School District Families,

I invite you to a School Community Conversation about Safety and Security in the Mt. Lebanon School District to be held on Tuesday, March 20, 2018 in the Mellon Middle School Auditorium beginning at 7:00 p.m. We will be sharing and discussing the measures, procedures, and protocols we have in place to keep our schools safe.

During our conversation, you will have the opportunity to hear about our proactive, preventative, and responsive efforts, as well as, the opportunity to ask questions and share your ideas and suggestions. Our School Board, Administration, Faculty, Staff and I work diligently to create and maintain a safe and orderly environment through which children will thrive and be successful. Know too that the Mt. Lebanon Police Department and all other community safety assets are integral partners in this effort.

I look forward to you joining me for this important conversation.

Sincerely,

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Update February 26, 2018 4:31 PM

From: "Dr. Timothy Steinhauer" <noreply@mtlsd.net>
Date: February 26, 2018 at 3:32:10 PM EST
To: Mt. Lebanon School District Families
Subject: **Venue Change for Conversation About Safety**
Reply-To: "Dr. Timothy Steinhauer" <noreply@mtlsd.net>

Dear Mt. Lebanon School District Families

LOCATION CHANGE - Mt. Lebanon High School Auditorium

Last week I sent you an invitation to the School Community Conversation About Safety and Security in the Mt. Lebanon School District to be held on Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. We have since changed the venue to the High School Auditorium to allow for easier parking. As I mentioned in my email last week, we will be sharing and discussing the measures, procedures, and protocols we have in place to keep our schools safe.

During our conversation, you will have the opportunity to hear about our proactive, preventative, and responsive efforts, as well as, the opportunity to ask questions and share your ideas and suggestions. Our School Board, Administration, Faculty, Staff and I work diligently to create and maintain a safe and orderly environment through which children will thrive and be successful. Know too that the Mt. Lebanon Police Department and all other community safety assets are integral partners in this effort.

I look forward to you joining me for this important conversation on March 20 at 7:00 p.m. in the High School Auditorium.

Sincerely,

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Update February 28, 2018 9:47 AM It takes guts to do this. Thank you, Dick's Sporting Goods!
Dick's Sporting Goods Media Statement

Called it.

By Lian Bunny and Stacey Federoff  –  Pittsburgh Business Times

Feb 23, 2018, 4:58pm EST Updated Feb 23, 2018, 6:21pm

The City of Pittsburgh appealed today the Pennsylvania’s Office of Open Records decision that ordered the city to release its Amazon HQ2 bid to the public, according to a statement released by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.

The city had until today to reveal the details or appeal the decision to the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas.

If Pittsburgh is anything like Mt. Lebanon, they will laugh in the face of the PA Office of Open Records

No agendas posted for Monday UPDATED Published! Secret topics, as well as parking restrictions on 5 streets

I emailed the commissioners this morning, asking about the agendas for Monday's meetings. No agendas have been posted for Monday's Discussion Session OR the commission meeting. (No LeboALERT had been sent out.)

I also asked when we were going to get the results from the archery hunt. We usually get them at the February meetings.

No response.

Update February 24, 2018 8:57 PM I heard back from Steve Silverman.

From: Steve Silverman <ssilverman@mtlebanon.org>
To: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Cc: Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>
Sent: Sat, Feb 24, 2018 8:36 pm
Subject: Re: Agendas

Elaine, 

I understand the agendas have been posted for Monday's meetings. Also, the Deer Management report for the archery program has been forwarded to IT to be posted on the Mt Lebanon website. 

Steve S

On Feb 24, 2018 9:44 AM, "'egillen476@aol.com' via Commission" <commission@mtlebanon.org> wrote:

Commissioners,

1. When will the agendas be posted for Monday's meetings? 

2. When will we be getting the numbers from the archery hunt?

Elaine Gillen

2/26/18 Commission Discussion Session agenda
More discussion on overnight parking. I have never seen this before: Thirty five minutes are set aside for
#4. 7:15 p.m. Extended discussion session(s)
Consideration of topics for extended discussion session(s)
Commission will discuss and suggest possible topics for an extended discussion session(s)

What the heck does that mean? They won't even list what the topics will be? They are allowing 35 minutes for this! No transparency!

2/26/18 Commission meeting agenda

Parking restrictions on Main Entrance Drive, Circle Drive, Outlook Drive, Lebanon Hills Drive, and Inglewood Drive. 

I just HAD to post the winner!

Congrats to Matthew Clark!

Graffitti in the bathroom

So, what did the “perceived” and “non-credible” threat say?

From: Mr. Brian R. McFeeley, Principal - Mt. Lebanon HS [mailto:noreply@mtlsd.net]
Sent: Friday, February 23, 2018 1:52 PM
To: Parent/Guardian
Subject: Graffiti in Bathroom

Dear Parent/Guardian:

This afternoon, two students reported to school officials finding what they perceived as a threat written in a bathroom stall at the high school.  Upon learning this information, the Mt. Lebanon Police Department was immediately contacted. Both the Mt. Lebanon Police and our administrators immediately responded and conducted an onsite threat assessment. The threat was deemed to be non-credible and no further action was recommended.  

School safety and security is our number one priority.  We appreciate that these students immediately shared this information with school officials.  I want to reinforce that it is important that students, parents, staff, and other members of our school community should always feel comfortable reporting any concerns they may have to a principal or to the Mt. Lebanon Police.

I appreciate our continued partnership ensuring a safe school environment for our students, staff, and visitors.

Sincerely,

Brian R. McFeeley

Principal

Bethel spends $3.1 million of their capital funds on technology

Upgrades to Bethel Park’s school computers to cost $3.1 million

Feb 21, 2018 12:36 pm
Bethel Park School District is projected to spend roughly $3.1 million over the next five years to keep its technology up-to-date.​

You're not going to believe this but...

I want to share a brilliant response from Barack Obama on gun law restrictions.

Don't talk about anything except recommendations for plumbers, dentists, or nannies on Nextdoor

My post about the firing range has been removed from Nextdoor. Here is the email I got with an explanation. But we can have Brian be an asshole and nobody seems to mind that. I am the one who is the problem. 

---

Elaine Gillen
Subject: Your Recent Content on Nextdoor

---

FEB 20, 2018  |  11:17AM PST
Roz replied:

Hi Elaine,

I’m reaching out because several of your neighbors have reported your posts about the proposed Mt. Lebanon firing range that have led to a heated discussion in your neighborhood.

At Nextdoor, we definitely encourage members to discuss issues that matter to them in a way that is constructive, civil and builds community. That said, we ask that members not use Nextdoor to air their personal views on non-local issues that are known to be highly controversial.

I understand why you’d want to share the information about this firing range with your Nextdoor community. Unfortunately this issue is causing frustration among your neighbors, we need to ask that you refrain from further posting about this topic in the main newsfeed. If you feel there is sufficient interest in this issue, please create a Group dedicated to conversations about this topic. We’ve found that this can be a great way to foster deep and constructive discussion, while still keeping the main newsfeed a positive and productive space for topics of general interest.

Please note, all messages in a Group must adhere to the Community Guidelines.

As a Lead, you set the standard for neighborly communication on Nextdoor. Moving forward, please help us to promote open, helpful, and respectful discussion by ensuring that posted content follows the Community Guidelines.

Thanks for your understanding. If you have any questions regarding our Guidelines, please let me know.

Best,

Roz
Nextdoor

Just got this email from Nextdoor. Tough crowd. Wow.

Hello Elaine, A message you posted was reported and removed for violating Nextdoor's Community Guideline: Be Helpful, not Hurtful. If you have concerns about why your content was reported or removed, do not post about it in the main newsfeed. Here’s what you can do: Review the Community Guidelines Contact your Leads Read more about best practices for posting on Nextdoor in our Help Center. Here is the message that was reported: "Posting on Nextdoor" Posted on Feb 20, 2018 Thank you, The Nextdoor Team

Yet another important message from the Superintendent

From: Dr. Timothy Steinhauer [mailto:noreply@mtlsd.net]
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2018 6:20 PM
To: Mt. Lebanon Parents
Subject: ***Important Message from the Superintendent ***

Dear Mt. Lebanon Parents,


I am writing to inform you that as Jefferson Middle School students were leaving school at the end of the day today, a 7th grade student was overheard saying he was going to “shoot up the school.” Students informed the principals, and the Mt. Lebanon Police Department was immediately contacted.
 

At this time, the MLPD indicated that no imminent threat exists.  Due to the serious nature of the comment, the MLPD are still investigating and may take further action.  Appropriate school disciplinary measures aligned to the student code of conduct will be applied. Due to student confidentiality laws, we cannot release specific information pertaining to the student or disciplinary action taken.  
 

The safety and security of the entire school community is a priority for us, and we will continue to aggressively pursue comments and behavior that threaten our students or schools.
 

Please feel free to contact your child’s principal or me if you have any concerns.
 

Sincerely,

 

Timothy J. Steinhauer

Superintendent

Another School Safety Letter and FAKE NEWS | UPDATED 9:37 AM

The following letter was sent to parents yesterday, following the heinous shootings in Florida.

From: Dr. Timothy Steinhauer <noreply@mtlsd.net>
Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2018 4:23:37 PM
To: Mt. Lebanon Parents
Subject: School Safety Letter

Dear Mt. Lebanon Parents,

A terrible tragedy took place yesterday in Parkland, Florida. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, families, students, and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Please know that we have safety procedures in place for each building and that we review them regularly with our administrators, faculty and staff. In addition, we train within our buildings and with Mt. Lebanon Police, Fire and MRTSA for all types of emergencies. As more details emerge about this incident, we will work with emergency management officials to make adjustments to our plans as necessary.

Communication is always key to helping prevent such terrible incidents. Parents should talk with their children, as well as with our faculty, staff, and administrators, if any concerns of this nature become evident.

Our students, parents, staff, and community members should know that we will continue to do everything possible to maintain safe, welcoming, and nurturing schools for all of our children. Their safety remains our highest priority.

Here is a link to the District’s Safety information: https://www.mtlsd.org/page.cfm?p=561

Sincerely,

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent

This is just two weeks after this letter was sent to parents.

From: Dr. Timothy Steinhauer [mailto:noreply@mtlsd.net]
Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2018 1:28 PM
To: Mt. Lebanon School District Families
Subject: Updated Deer Management Information

Dear Mt. Lebanon School District Families,

In our ongoing effort to keep you apprised of local issues, I am sending you information that I received from the Mt. Lebanon Municipality concerning the upcoming cull beginning on February 1 through March 31 of 2018.  I have attached a letter from Assistant Municipal Manger Ian McMeans with details about the program and a link to more extensive information on the Municipal website at http://www.mtlebanon.org/2114/Deer-Management-Information. This same information is also being shared with all of our principals, teachers, and support staff. Please do not hesitate to contact the Mt. Lebanon Municipality or Mt. Lebanon Police Department should you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Letter from Municipality 0118.pdf**

And just hours after this was printed in The Almanac:

Firing range approved for Mt. Lebanon public works facility

Municipal manager Keith McGill said he discussed the matter with school board member Al Frioni, the liaison to the municipality, and learned: “There appears to be general support for moving forward" with a financial commitment from the school district.

FAKE NEWS! I don't want to play the "Bash The Republican" card, but Al Frioni, a Republican, should never have made the statement that there is general support with a financial commitment from the school district.

Update 8:33 AM
From: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
To: kmcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>
Cc: commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>; schoolboard <schoolboard@mtlsd.net>; hfunk1213 <hfunk1213@yahoo.com>; TSteinhauer <TSteinhauer@mtlsd.net>
Sent: Fri, Feb 16, 2018 8:17 am
Subject: Fwd: This just makes me crazy
Keith,

I know you guys are all about firing lethal weapons in undisclosed areas in Mt. Lebanon thirty minutes after elementary school kids are dismissed from school, but your quote in The Almanac is just over the top. Nothing has been approved. If Al Frioni made this commitment with you, he was totally out of line.

Elaine Gillen

Update 9:17 AM

From: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
To: kmcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>
Cc: commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>; schoolboard <schoolboard@mtlsd.net>; hfunk1213 <hfunk1213@yahoo.com>; TSteinhauer <TSteinhauer@mtlsd.net>
Sent: Fri, Feb 16, 2018 9:15 am

Subject: Re: This just makes me crazy

Thanks for your quick response, Keith. Please keep in mind that even though the municipality has been discussing the possibility of a shared facility with the school district since at least 2014, you can't assume that there is general support for moving forward.

Elaine

-----Original Message-----
From: Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>
To: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Cc: Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>; schoolboard <schoolboard@mtlsd.net>; Harry Funk <hfunk1213@yahoo.com>; tsteinhauer <TSteinhauer@mtlsd.net>
Sent: Fri, Feb 16, 2018 8:53 am
Subject: Re: This just makes me crazy

Good morning Elaine,

Thank you for your opinion. You are correct that the school board has not taken an action or even offered any comments to the municipality on this issue. The statement was not made by Mr. Frioni, but is based on the fact that the facility would meet the needs of the High School rifle team. The municipality has been discussing the possibility of a shared facility with the school district since at least 2014. Hence the comment that there appears to be general support for moving forward.

Keith

Update 9:37 AM

From: Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>
To: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Cc: Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>; schoolboard <schoolboard@mtlsd.net>; Harry Funk <hfunk1213@yahoo.com>; tsteinhauer <TSteinhauer@mtlsd.net>
Sent: Fri, Feb 16, 2018 9:33 am
Subject: Re: This just makes me crazy

Good morning Elaine,

You are correct, which is why the next paragraph in the article reads as follows:

“Had we stayed with the golf course site, this project was always financially planned to be able to move forward without contribution from the school district. So the capacity’s there from a budget standpoint,” McGill said about municipal resources, “and we’re looking for the school district to partner because we’ll create one facility that meets the needs of both groups.”

Thank you,

Keith