McKeesport Area High School is a public high school located in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, United States. The school, which is located at 1960 Eden Park Boulevard, serves students from Dravosburg, McKeesport, South Versailles, Versailles, and White Oak. The school is a member of The Consortium for Public Education, which is a member of the Public Education Network.
History
The very first building to be designated solely as a high school in McKeesport was located on Shaw Ave. In 1916, McKeesport Technical High School, also known as "Tech High" opened on 1600 Cornell St. (back then, it was just a part of the Evans Family Homestead). In 1961, the high school was relocated to its current location. The new building was adjacent to the McKeesport Vocational School located on 3600 O'Neil Boulevard. The two buildings were used jointly for a variety of high school coursework. In 2000, the 1960 Eden Park Blvd. building (also known as "South Hall") housed all 9-12 grade non-vocational classes. In 2003, additions to the physical plant enabled the vocational programs to also relocate. "North Hall" was renamed Founders' Hall and housed 7-8 grade.
When this new high school was completed in September 1961, the School Board named it McKeesport Senior High School. From 1967 until 1983, the building was known as McKeesport Area Senior High School whereupon the "senior" was dropped in 1984. From 1984 until now, it has been known as McKeesport Area High School.
The high school became a Grade 9-12 building with the start of the 1979-1980 school year. In 2003-2004, new additions to the high school building provided room for the five remaining vocational/technical classes that were previously housed at North Hall. Culinary Arts, Cosmetology, Building Construction, Auto Body, and Auto Mechanics are now all a part of the comprehensive high school that offers its entire academic and vocational/technical curriculum under one roof.
Highlights of the high school project included a modern Tiger Inn restaurant for the culinary arts program, new cosmetology labs, an expanded graphic occupations department, modern office areas for the vocational/technical program, and an expanded physical fitness area, along with, much needed, additional classroom space.
Upgrades were also made to the Weigle-Schaeffer Tiger Stadium that features a new artificial grass field, and an updated all weather track that includes specialized areas to conduct field events.
McKeesport Area Technology Center Programs
Allied Health Technology
Auto Body and Collision
Auto Mechanics
Biotechnology
Blueprint Reading
Building Construction
Business/Office Administration
Child Care
CISCO IT Essentials/C-Tech Networking
Computer Aided Design and Drafting
Computer Service Technology
Cosmetology
Culinary Arts
Engineering Technology
Graphics/Commercial Art
Web Page Design
Extracurriculars
The district offers a variety of clubs, activities and sports.
Mitchell Paige (1918-2005) – Colonel, United States Marine Corps, awarded Medal of Honor for actions as a Platoon Sergeant in the defense of Henderson Field on Guadalcanal Island, 26 October 1942. McKeesport HS Class of 1936
