PITTSBURGH — A dozen Pittsburgh Public Schools will not close, at least for now.
The consolidation plan years in the making was voted down by the board, Tuesday.
The final was 6-3.
The vote almost didn’t happen. Board President Gene Walker made a motion to table it, effectively putting it on pause for the next board to act on. It was an attempt to save the plan. It failed in a 5-4 vote.
“This is what board work is about. It doesn’t always work out quite the way we planned,” Walker said.
Plan supporters cited issues like low enrollment, finances and aging infrastructure as reasons to move forward.
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The plan would have closed 12 schools across 9 buildings. Seven of the buildings would have closed at the end of this school year.
Opponents of the plan largely called out the process itself and cited a lack of clarity and community participation.
“I think it’s important as board directors we not only listen to professionals in the room but consider what the community is saying,” Walker said.
Outgoing Director Sylvia Wilson said this was a missed opportunity to level the playing field across the district.
“So many people look at their personal problems and look at how it impacts only them and they don’t look at the big picture,” she said.
“I went into this knowing there was a divided board -some for and some against for a variety of reasons. So, that was the vote that was taken and we move from there,” Superintendent Wayne Walters said.
He says they’ll reflect on what went wrong and what’s next.
As for what’s next?
“I think tonight was very harmful for the work ahead of us. Dr. Walters and his team just have a steeper climb because it looks like we didn’t know what we were doing, tonight,” Walker said.
One board member attempted to add amendments before the vote. That also failed.
Walters told Channel 11 this will change the budget and likely increase the district deficit.
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