Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent lays out roadmap for district aimed at balancing enrollment

PITTSBURGH — A roadmap for the future of Pittsburgh Public Schools was laid out Thursday evening.

It’s the next step in the consolidation process that started nearly two years ago.

If the plan is passed, students will see some major changes starting next school year.

Fewer buildings and fewer buses are just two of those changes. Should the plan pass, 12 schools in 9 buildings will close. Thousands of students could move.

The goal is to balance enrollment. According to district officials, the goal is for every building to be 75 to 85% full. The realignment is also in place to prevent students from crossing major barriers like highways and bridges to get to school.

Once students are realigned, officials say, busing will drop from nearly 1,000 daily trips to about 400, and ride times will be cut from an average of 35 minutes to about 17.

“Leadership demands we act when the moment calls us forward, and that moment is now,” Superintendent Wayne Walters said.

Board members had questions about the plan. Some called the plan confusing and the timeline vague.

Officials say full implementation should take about five years.

A final vote is set to take place in the next few weeks. One board member said, if the vote were today, she would be a “no.”

You can find more on the plan here: https://www.pghschools.org/.

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