Abington Heights High School has been around for almost 60 year, so who better to ask about what has changed than those who have been in the district since then like my father and grandfather: Dan and Thomas McArdle?

Thomas McArdle is a former Abington Heights  history teacher. He was a member of the staff for 37 years, until he retired in 2002. 

When asked about the rules and policies, McArdle agreed that the rules were fair and thought they were pretty typical, but our buildings were not always the same. 

McArdle said, “When I came here, Clarks Summit Elementary was the high school, and I taught there initially. The current high school opened in 1967, and then I went up there. I went back and forth for maybe two years and then I was at the high school permanently for the rest of my career.”

As it turns out, half of the high schoolers in our building would be going to  class in what is now known as the C.S.E. building, which was then the junior high (grades 9-10). While the other half would still be in our building, the senior high (grade 11-12).

This was changed in 1997 when the current high school got an addition and grades 9-12 started attending school together. 

We then asked Daniel McArdle, Thomas’s son, what his experience with that was like, since he went to school in both buildings. 

He said, “It was a nicer feature to only really have two grades in the building. You only really knew the group directly ahead of you and the group behind you.”

Lastly, both Tom and Dan were asked what they would change about the district.

“I would get rid of Grove Street [administration building] altogether, get rid of the Pit and maybe add some bleachers at the high school. Then just play all the games at the high school. It’s obsolete, there is no reason to play at the Pit.”

While Dan clearly had more concerns with facilities, Tom focused on academics.

“I would encourage bright kids to take tougher classes earlier. Like the honors program and the Advanced Placement program, they should offer more classes like that at an earlier age.”