History Project Document Archive
Available here are scans and documents from the formation and reorganization period of the Chartiers Valley School District.
Some of the most notable documents here are from the Pennsylvania State Archives and were used in the research of the history project. Other documents are linked directly on each historical entry page.
Governor's Committee on Education (Lawrence)
Governor Lawrence’s Committee on Education was formed during the reorganization period to evaluate the quality of the state’s education system and attempt to get a hold on the increased expenditures year after year. Ultimately the committee produced one final report and several draft reports on their plans for legislative overhaul to the system. The experts included in this committee produced an exceptional and comprehensive plan to raise graduation rates across the state. It’s perhaps the most influential document and moment in Pennsylvania education history.
- Research Report #2. 7/6/1960
- Research Report #3. 7/26/1960
- Interim Report. 9/8/1960
- Reorganization Plan. 1/23/1960
- Final Report of the Committee on Education. 4/1/1961
- Legislative Recommendations. 2/1/1963
Pennsylvania Board of Education
Meeting minutes from the Pennsylvania Board of Education in the 1950’s covered a myriad of topics but primarily focused on the state’s early plans for reorganization. There are several mentions of specific school districts like Chartiers Valley throughout. These are available digitally on the Pennsylvania State Archives website, however it limits you to clicking through a single film scan at a time. We used automation to download all the collections into a single PDF for each year.
- Meeting Minutes: 1960 - 1961
- Meeting Minutes: 1961 - 1962
- Meeting Minutes: 1962 - 1963 (Part 1)
- Meeting Minutes: 1962 - 1963 (Part 2)
- Meeting Minutes: 1963 - 1964
- Meeting Minutes: 1964 - 1965
- Meeting Minutes: 1965 - 1966
- Chartiers Valley appeal of County Plan. 10/19/1965
- Chartiers Valley appeal granted. 11/10/1965
Department of Public Instruction
- A Guide To School District Reorganization: The Challenge of the Sixties. 1962.
- Establishing the New School District: The School District Reorganization Act of 1963. 1964
- A Guide For The 1966 Establishment of School Districts In Accordance With Act 299. 1965
Pennsylvania Courts
The reorganization period brought intense infighting between communities unamused with the prospect of merging with local rivals. Many districts turned to litigation in an attempt to delay the inevitable. Chartiers Valley challenged the constitutionality of the bills granting the state the authority with reorganization.
- Allegheny County Court dismall of Chartiers Valley case. 6/29/1964
- Supreme Court dismissal of Chartiers Valley case. 6/30/1965
Allegheny County Board of Schools
Prior to reorganization, each county had a board of schools that acted as the primary administrator over curriculum and direction for districts. The reorganization period tasked each county’s board to submit a plan for reorganization amongst its constituent districts. Documents here are meeting minutes located from the Pennsylvania State Archives in a Chartiers Valley box. The minutes included were used as part of an investigation into Carnegie’s inability to join a venture and disregard for state mandates. Minutes for other meetings during this time likely exist in a separate collection at the archives that we did not explore as part of this project.
- 1952 Reorganization Plan
- 1954 Reorganization Plan
- Meeting Minutes. 12/19/1955
- Reorganization Plan. 1/17/1957
- Reorganization Plan. 6/1/1957
- Reorganization Plan. 8/20/1958
Pennsylvania State Archives
Prior to visiting the Pennsylvania State Archives we corresponded with a researcher at the facility. Using the general time period and document specifics, the following list was produced as a finding aid. When going to the archives, you can use these direct links to request the physical box be brought out to you for review. These ultimately contained all of the documents required for the history project on this site.
- Correspondence, Reports, Papers, and Miscellaneous Records Relating to the Governor's Committee on Education {RG Series #22.100}. A finding aid is available here.
- Governor Lawrence Subject Files {MG Series #191.5} – contains files on the Governor’s Committee of Education (Carton 8 and 9). A finding aid is available here.
- Governor Lawrence Legislative File {MG Series #191.3} – contains a file on the G Governor’s Committee of Education (Carton 6). A finding aid is available here.
- Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction General and Administrative Correspondence {RG Series #22.102}. A finding aid is available here.
- School District Reorganization Plans {RG Series #22.3} – a finding aid is available here.
- Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction - a finding aid is available here.
- Governor Scranton Subject Files {MG Series #208.2} - a finding aid is available here.