A community room in the Anthony M. Lombardi Education Conference Center at Monongahela Valley Hospital has been named in recognition of Richard A. Barcelona, of Charleroi.

The Richard A. Barcelona Community Room was formally dedicated Feb.16.

Hospital president Louis J. Panza Jr. lauded Mr. Barcelona's work with the hospital's board of directors.

Mr. Barcelona is president of Bailey Engineering in Canonsburg. He is a member of a number of professional organizations, including the American Iron and Steel Institute and the Iron and Steel Society. He is a native of Charleroi and a graduate of Robert Morris University. Mr. Barcelona and his wife, Carol, have two children.

Final approval from the Commission earlier this month meant the planned $113.2 million renovation of Mt. Lebanon High School could go out to bid, but members of the Mt. Lebanon school board decided they wanted one more outside review of the $113.2 million high school renovation plan.

The board voted unanimously Monday night to award a contract to the law firm of Babst, Calland, Clements and Zomnir to review volume 1 of the bid specifications at a cost not to exceed $3,500, the spokeswoman for the district said.

The review will be conducted this week and a vote on the bid documents will be taken at a special school board meeting Monday.

School directors faced criticism Tuesday night, fielding concerns about special education from a group of about a dozen parents, while a board member and several parents went on record opposing a proposed policy change.

The parents' group, called Peters Township Special Needs Network, questioned what its members termed a "systemic under identification" of special education students in the district and demanded to know why Peters directs less funding to special education than comparable districts.

Mike Aburachis, spokesman for the group, also asked board members why Peters identifies fewer special needs students than its peer districts, citing data from the state Department of Education.

"This is really not a forum to throw out information and get a quick answer," said board member Julie Ann Sullivan, who suggested the group formulate questions and submit them to district administrators.

Mr. Aburachis said his group wanted their concerns to be heard by the full board of school directors and to be seen by the public, which can view meetings on a local cable access channel.

He and other group members previously met with administrators and said they have continuing concerns.

• Other parents objected to a proposed change to the policy governing class rank and graduation honors.

The change, a draft of which was approved at Tuesday's board meeting, raised the grade point average required for students to be recognized as a Valedictorian, beginning with the class of 2014.

Board member Sue Smith, who also opposed the alteration, said the new system used "faulty calculations," which would penalize students who take a larger classload or who explore more elective courses, such as art and band.

"Substantially fewer kids will be able to make this number," said Ms. Smith, who favored a system used by other local school districts which doesn't penalize such students.

The policy won't take effect until the board votes on the issue a second time. That vote is expected at the March 21 meeting.

School directors Tuesday night approved the June 30 retirements of Ann Bisignani, assistant to the superintendent, and Karen Labutta, middle school principal.

Mrs. Bisignani has worked in the district for about 32 years. She was a teacher before serving as high school principal for 11 years. In August 2009, she was promoted to assistant to the superintendent for curriculum, instruction and assessment.

Mrs. Labutta has been middle school principal for the past 12 years.

Directors voted Feb. 15 to approve a $37.5 million preliminary budget with a 3.264-mill property tax increase for the 2011-2012 school year.

Board president Len Fornella on Feb. 22 stressed that district officials will lower expenses and reduce that millage rate in the final budget, which is due in June.

The board voted to apply to the state Department of Education for permission to raise taxes 2.816 mills above the district's index amount, which was calculated at 0.4478 mills according to state law. If approved, all or part of the additional millage could be applied to special education costs, state retirement system contributions and some other expenses.