Original Research by School Decision on Harrold School
Harrold School is a ninth-grade school located in Greensburg, serving the freshmen class of Hempfield Area School District. It exists as a temporary configuration: the district consolidated its three middle schools into two in recent years, and as part of a long-term high school renovation funded by a bond and now underway, ninth-graders are housed at Harrold rather than at the high school campus. Once the renovation concludes, planned for the spring of 2029, freshmen will return to the high school building, and Harrold's role will end.
The school enrolls a school-sized freshman cohort. About two-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic need above the state average. The student body is predominantly white, with very small numbers of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Data on students with disabilities or English learners was not available.
State testing data specific to Harrold was not available. This absence likely reflects both the school's single-grade configuration and its temporary status. A parent seeking to understand ninth-grade academic performance and achievement in the district would need to discuss this with the school and district directly.
Greensburg itself is the county seat of Westmoreland County, a mixed commercial and residential city with a historic downtown anchored on North Main and West Pittsburgh Streets. The downtown is walkable and has seen active revitalization in recent years, led by the Westmoreland Cultural Trust, which restored the Palace Theatre and the train station. Downtown is home to Seton Hill University and cultural institutions like the Westmoreland Museum of American Art. Outside the core, the city is car-dependent and oriented toward Route 30 retail development and Westmoreland Mall. Major employers include the Independence Health System, both Seton Hill and the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, county government, and the Route 30 corridor retail. Housing in the area is moderately priced relative to national benchmarks, and rents are stable. Downtown housing growth continues through infill projects, while new residential development on the city's north end includes Saybrook Village and Evergreen Hill.
Hempfield Area School District has undergone significant structural changes. The closure of Harrold as a middle school and consolidation of three middle schools into two shifted attendance boundaries for families in neighborhoods including Youngwood, Edgewood Manor, Timber Ridge Court, and Fort Allen. The high school renovation, budgeted at a substantial sum and targeted for completion by 2029, has been paused and restarted; this is a multi-year disruption that disrupts where ninth-graders attend school and will continue through the 2028-29 school year.
The district implemented a property tax increase for the 2024-25 school year and eliminated several staff positions, including two librarian roles, one special education teacher, and three teacher positions. These changes directly affect tax bills for homeowners and staffing levels that families encounter in schools.
Harrold School functions as a ninth-grade entry point into the high school pathway within a district in transition. Because of its temporary status and single-grade structure, a parent should expect frequent communication with the school about how the renovation timeline affects course offerings, staffing, and the eventual transition back to the high school building. The economics of the area are stable, but the district's fiscal and structural constraints are real and actively shaping school operations.
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