PITTSBURGH — School closures are on hold in Pittsburgh Public Schools at least for another year.
Jazlynn Worthy has three kids at PPS.
“We are moving forward in a positive direction,” Worthy said.
Two of Worthy’s children go to Woolslair Elementary, which is one of 14 schools at risk of closing. She is relieved the administration has delayed the decision for now.
“I am extremely happy,” said Worthy. “As community members, as a parent, all we want to do is be involved. All we to do is have a say in our kids’ education.”
A month after a consulting firm hired by the school district laid out its final recommendations for closing and merging schools, administrators decided no changes would be made until after the 2025-26 school year.
>> PPS unveils revised facilities utilization plan that would close 14 schools
“Just the variables that come with actually examining the recommendations deeply and seeing how we could execute on it, we made the decision we would need more time,” said PPS Superintendent Wayne Walters.
Those variables include transportation, moving kids from buildings being renovated or closed, and a timeline to make it all happen.
“This has been a blessing in disguise with the amount of input we’ve gotten with the complexity of the project we’re trying to do,” said PPS Board President Gene Walker.
Walker said the 14 schools the consultants proposed to close could change. He said they’ll have a better idea when the superintendent and his team come out with their feasibility report early next year, adding that changes could start in the fall of 2026.
“Their access to high-quality education should not change,” Walker said. “It just may be in a different building than they’re currently in.”
Walker said the plan is to continue to offer the same, if not more, programming for students with disabilities, such as 8-year-old Sienna.
Sienna goes to Fulton Elementary, which is also on the chopping block. Her mom, Shannon Striner, worries about what this delayed decision means for students.
“At this point for me, it’s a little bit hard to trust the process,” Striner said. “Why are things being pushed back?”
Striner wants more transparency about what her daughter’s future looks like at the district and if that means her teachers would lose their jobs.
“I’m so sick of no clear path, no clear answers,” Striner said. “At the end of the day, this is who’s impacted right here, this little girl.”
The school district’s spokesperson said it’s hard to say right now exactly how many teacher and staff cuts there could be especially when you factor in retirements.
Between staffing cuts and building closures, the consulting firm estimates the school district could save $10 million a year, helping to close a $23 million budget gap.
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