A love of numbers is adding up as the right answer to one couple’s professional pursuit.
Jason and Monica Dunkel, married for 20 years, both teach elementary math at the same school, in the same department, in the Kiski Area School District. And they also share a number: 1976, their year of birth.
The New Kensington couple carpools together to Kiski Area Upper Elementary School in Washington Township, where they’ve taught math to fifth and sixth graders for seven years.
Before that, they both taught at Kiski Area North Primary School in Allegheny Township.
The Lower Burrell natives met in a civics class as freshmen at Burrell High School.
“My maiden name was Dotto. He was Dunkel,” Monica Dunkel said.
“I sat right behind her,” Jason said.
Their high school romance continued at Penn State University, where they both majored in elementary education.
The couple jokes that Jason had the higher GPA, but Monica is better at fractions.
“This is the square peg, square hole. It’s the perfect fit,” Jason said of their co-worker status.
They married at Saint Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Lower Burrell. Their two children attend New Kensington-Arnold schools; daughter Morgan is a junior, and son Dominick is a seventh grader.
The Dunkels work at the same school on purpose.
“We planned it,” Jason said. “It made things a lot more convenient.”
The couple said students don’t always put two and two together when it comes to figuring out their marital status.
“They don’t always realize we’re married. They will say, ‘Oh, Mr. Dunkel … is that your husband?’ ” Monica said.
Kiski Area principal Brian Swartzlander admired the couple’s dedication to their jobs and each other.
“It takes it to another level when you actually have a husband and wife team that work in the same department in the same building.” Swartzlander said. “They take much pride in ensuring that students learn at the highest levels here.”
The couple said they field questions from folks about what it’s like working at the same school together.
“We don’t see each other all of the time. We have separate lunch times. I guess we’ve been together so long, it’s second nature to us,” Monica said.
The couple has no plans to change the working arrangement.
“We love it here,” Monica said.
