The school board heard an update from district staff Monday about the Read 180 program, designed to target students lagging in reading comprehension skills.

With 551 students enrolled in the program from 7th grade and up, Penn Hills reported 89 percent of program participants achieved at least a year of growth in reading skills.

According to school records, as many as 189 district students have improved their reading skills by two years or more.

"I wasn't supportive of this program when we were first approached," said Margie Krogh, a school board member. "But I am happy to see it is working." Superintendent Thomas Washington said this is the district's first attempt at reading intervention -- and that no "magic pills" will improve reading scores overnight.

"I will come back with a pilot program for the elementary school," he said. "There is a lot of good research out there about how the brain functions, but it seems as if education is the last to get onboard."

• After last month's school board meeting at which parents complained about the new bus services in the district, things were quieter at this month meeting this week.

"Things have settled down, but it certainly isn't perfect," Mr. Washington said after Monday's meeting. "We are just trying to handle issues as they come up."

Mr. Washington said district staff followed up as planned and contacted parents who had raised busing issues in September.