The Butler Area School District (BASD) is a school district in western Pennsylvania, headquartered in Butler Township, Butler County; the office has a Butler postal address. It encompasses approximately 150 sqmi and operates ten schools. The 2006 enrollment for elementary students was 4,310 students and for secondary schools was 3,946 students.

History

The first Butler area public school, "the Little Red Schoolhouse" opened in 1838 as a result of the Pennsylvania Free Public School Act of 1834. In 1854, a bill establishing a system of Superintendents in Pennsylvania was established which lead to the appointment of the county's first superintendent, Isaac Black. In an 1856 report, Superintendent Black reported that 84 of the county's 182 school-houses "were unfit to enter" while 57 "were tolerable". The Butler County Teacher's Institute, established in 1855, determined which resources were to be used in the classrooms. The first Bulter area high school was originally built in 1908 and became a middle school in 1917 until the building was closed in 1985 and razed in 1987. By 1963, all of the county's one-room school-houses had closed. In 2015, the board of trustees voted to close five elementary schools. Six board members voted in favor, and three voted against.

Boundary

The district covers the City of Butler, the boroughs of Connoquenessing and East Butler, and the townships of Butler, Center, Clearfield, Connoquenessing, Oakland and Summit. Census-designated places in Butler Township include Homeacre-Lyndora, Meadowood, Meridian, and Oak Hills. CDPs in Center Township include Shanor-Northvue and Unionville.

Schools

Elementary Schools (K-5)

Middle School (6-8)

High School (9-12)

Specials School(s)

Former schools

The district chose to close the following schools in 2015: Another former school: