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Until 1950, most of the land surrounding the area that is presently Hoover Elementary was part of Scott Township. A group of residents, convinced they would get more for their tax dollar in Mt. Lebanon, formed the Upper Bower Hill Committee and pressed for annexation. What Mt. Lebanon gained with that addition were a number of new homes and some much needed open space to provide for new construction up through the 70's.
Hoover Elementary, Mt. Lebanon's newest school, was constructed on land occupied by the Wagner farm. It was built on 7.9 acres for the cost of $886,898. The neighborhood grew block by block involving a number of developers and builders. Hoover Elementary School was built to accommodate the growing student population. Hoover School opened as a primary school in 1965. Four years later, with the addition to the building, the program expanded to accommodate intermediate classes. It is located on Robb Hollow Road and received its official name of Herbert Clark Hoover School. The name was chosen by the Mt. Lebanon School Board at its meeting on November 4, 1964. It was the only school in Western Pennsylvania specifically designated and built for "team teaching" and the non graded system of education.
The first principal of Hoover Elementary was Dr. H. Charles Schultz. Dr. Shirley Davidson took over as principal at the start of the second school year after the opening of the primary school. The name Dr. Davidson became synonymous with team teaching in Mt. Lebanon. Hoover served as a pilot school for the study of continuous process. Dr. Davidson attended and served as a faculty member of the Harvard-Lexington Summer Programs for Team Teaching under Dr. Robert Anderson. Dr. Davidson was both instrumental in the design of the original buildings and the design of the curriculum and the instruction that was taught at Hoover.
After Dr. Davidson's retirement, Mr. Robert Mallery served as principal from 1993-2000. From 2000 until the present, Mrs. Mary Ann Schnirel has led the school as principal.
The renovation of Hoover elementary began in the summer of 2004. One of the architectural features that remain is the large fish pond in the area that links the two buildings. The newly renovated building is an excellent learning environment for the 244 students Kindergarten through Fifth Grade.
As is stated in the Mt. Lebanon School District Mission we strive to provide the best possible for each and every student. | 
