Shaler Area School District: Fill & Download for Free

The best suburb of Pittsburgh really depends on your needs as an individual or family, so your answer will depend on what you are looking for. There are a ton of suburbs as Pittsburgh proper is actually very small. When moving, you need to think about what you are most concerned about: commute times, school districts, or cost of real estate/ lot size. I will give a brief overview on some of the suburban areas geographically speaking broken up by school districts. I am a teacher in the area so I have a general sense of suburbs around here. Just a caveat, when people say the schools are “good” that mainly just means the test scores are higher along with a bunch of other factors. (SAT scores, AP passage rates) Generally speaking the higher the real estate cost the “better” the schools are. Also, generally it is easier to commute into the city from the Northern Suburbs as opposed to the Southern Suburbs.Inner Ring Northern SuburbsNorth Hills School District - This suburb is made up of Ross and West View Township.Pros- It is a really close commute to downtown (15 Minutes or less). School district is pretty good from what I can tell and I have worked in some as a sub years ago.(I know some teachers who work in the schools) There are some nice older neighborhoods with homes with “character” Think brick homes with slate roofs on smaller lots.Cons- Some houses can be pretty expensive in Ross. I think West View is pretty affordable but not quite as nice. Lots of houses with smaller lots and not much privacy.Shaler School District- Made up of Reserve, Etna, Millvale, and Shaler Township.Pros- You can find a very affordable house in Etna and Reserve and even Shaler Township. Etna and Millvale feel more like living in a small town that may be a little run down, but Shaler has more of a suburban feel without feeling like suburban sprawl. Within the past 5 Years, Millvale has gotten nicer and it has a bit of a hipster vibe but still feels authentic. There are some cool breweries and bars in Millvale. Also, It is right across the river from Lawrenceville.There are some cooler old homes in Shaler if that is your thing along Mt. Royal Blvd in a neighborhood called “Shaler village”. The commute times to the city are really short. I live in Shaler and it takes my wife and I 10 minutes to get to the strip district on a Saturday morning.Cons- The school district isn’t ranked as highly, but I know lots of people who went there and it seems fine.Outer Ring Northern SuburbsHampton School Distict- Made up of Gibsonia and Hampton Townships.Pros- Close to Hartfield Acres park and the schools are supposed to be really good whatever that means. I think most of the homes in the area have larger lotsCons- A good bit more expensive than Shaler along with a bit of a longer commute time to the city.North Allegheny School District- Made up of McCandless, Wexford, Franklin ParkPros- The schools are supposed to be really good and there would be lots of opportunities for any student there. On the flip side, its a huge school district so certain students could feel a bit overwhelmed or lost. Close to North Park which is a great place run, row, bike etc…Cons- Commute times to the city would be longer, overall suburban feel which lacks any real “character” Houses in this district are generally a lot more expensive.North Eastern SuburbFox Chapel School District- Made up of Blawnox, Aspinwall, Sharpsburg, Indiana, O’HaraPros- Each borough above is pretty different. I honestly can’t comment that much about Sharpsburg or O’hara but know that Aspinwall is a really cute little town along the river with a nice downtown area with restaurants and shops. Indiana Township is rural and you can find a smaller house on some land for a decent price if you wait. Again, school district is highly regarded.Cons- Commute on Rt. 28 into the city can be a bear. Homes are generally a lot more expensive.Riverside School District- OakmontPros- A small town with a cute downtown area, lots of charm if you will.Cons- Expensive homes and the school district is well regarded but smaller. The commute into pgh from Oakmont on Rt. 28 would take lots of time during rush hour.Southern SuburbsMt. Lebanon- As previous posters have said, Mt. Lebanon is really nice with a short commute to Pgh and a nice down town area. Homes are expensive and schools are good.Bethel Park- Shaler of the Southern suburbs with a longer commute time to the city.South Fayette- The school district is supposed to be really good and forward thinking. South Fayette generally has a more rural feel to it than other suburbs in Allegheny county. It would be a longer commute to the city from here. I think home prices are rising too.I honestly don’t know much about Suburbs in the West part of Pittsburgh. As I said before, there a billion suburbs of Pittsburgh. My best advice would be to decide what geographic area you want to live. (North, East, South or West) Then drive around all the different areas to get a feel for them. You will find something that suits your needs!

Isn't ML kind of pricey, though?And I've never lived there, but I've always thought Swissvale was cute. Sharpsburg isn't pricey (unless it suddenly changed in the last decade), and is in one of the best school districts (Fox Chapel) in the area. Blawnox is a little further away from downtown, but is also affordable and in the same school district.Shaler and Etna are also inexpensive, but I forget what the Shaler school district is like (which I believe includes Etna). Etna is a little beat up, but has its charms. Not my first choice at all, though.I'm assuming your saying you are on a fixed income means you want to stretch your dollar.

I believe that test scores are a reflection of faculty, educational resources, and parental involvement. I am a graduate of Pittsburgh Public Schools (K-12) and feel that I received a solid education. I was prepared for college and adulthood. My parents supported me and gave me freedom to explore interests until I ultimately found my way.Do you want to live IN the city? Then your choices are Pittsburgh Public Schools or private schools. As far as PPS go, there are neighborhood schools and magnet (language, performance, STEM) schools. Many school options require bussing (either private or public). You can information on options if you visit the PPS website. As far as K-12 private schools go, there are a few within the city limits, some even within walking distance of residential neighborhoods (Winchester-Thurston and Ellis) and many more that have only elementary (K-6 or K-8) grades. There are a few parochial schools with a religious focus that appeal to some.If you will live outside of the city, then you should choose a neighborhood with a good school district AND a good quality of life. That balance depends on your priorities and interests. The other posts list several top-shelf suburban districts, but I might add Quaker Valley and Riverview that are not far from downtown. A bedroom community that is often overlooked, but is better than most, is the Shaler Area School District. You can generally get to downtown in less than 30 minutes by car or bus from Glenshaw, in the heart of the SASD.Keep you eye on the goal … Will you buy or rent? Will you stay for 12 years or will you leave upon graduation? The way I see it, there’s not an easy answer, sorry.