MT. LEBANON, Pennsylvania — For decades, the Mt. Lebanon School District was not only lauded as one of the best school districts in the state, but it was also well-regarded throughout the country.

Beginning in the mid-1980s, the school district received multiple National Blue Ribbon Awards from the U.S. Department of Education, which was one of the reasons I moved there in late 1989. In fact, from 1983 through the early 2000s, the elementary, middle, and junior high schools, as well as the high school fine arts programs, were all considered among the best in the country.