North Allegheny District Receives $456,000 P.E. Grant

By Bethany Hofstetter

North Allegheny School District is pumping up its physical education program with a nearly half-million-dollar grant.

The district received the Carol M. White Physical Education grant through the Department of Education to provide $456,000 to update the curriculum and equipment.

David Schmidt, physical education department chairman, said the district has come a long way from the days when gym class meant just running a mile.

“What we do here in P.E. classes, and what you would consider the usual P.E. class is like night and day,” Schmidt said.

For the past several years, North Allegheny has focused the physical education classes on activities that students can take with them after they leave school, such as mountain biking, climbing, golf, tennis, dance, yoga or swimming.

Schmidt said the grant will allow the district to expand curriculum and create a statewide model. The district hopes to create cardiovascular laboratories in five of its schools with the grant money.

The cardiovascular lab will include treadmills, stationary bikes, and exercise games, including video games. The district also will purchase heart-rate monitors for use in classes.

The grant money will be used to buy more mountain bikes and kayaks, as well as trailers for them.

“The district itself is very pleased when we can offer our kids the best thinking in any field,” said Timothy Steinhauer, assistant superintendent for secondary education and curriculum. “We really try to think about the kids — taking a holistic view.”

North Allegheny will be able to increase the exposure of its physical education program to future teachers with the grant.

In the past, up to 40 Slippery Rock University physical education students would visit the school each year to observe curriculum. With the grant money, North Allegheny will be able to invite all of the undergraduate students majoring in physical education from Slippery Rock, or about 400 students.

Schmidt said the district is looking to expand this observation opportunity to officials from other districts interested in improving their programs.

Every five to seven years, each district department goes through a curriculum review. Next year, the review committee will make recommendations to the school board and administration to improve the physical education curriculum.

“We just want to provide the best possible opportunities for our students to raise their quality of life,” Schmidt said. “We want to raise their fitness level now so they can feel how it feels, so they can move in that direction in life.

“We want to teach them that you can do what you want, when you want, because you’re healthy enough to do it.”

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