Consultant recommends 14 PPS closures as part of consolidation plan

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A consulting firm recommended the closure of 14 Pittsburgh Public Schools as part of a proposed consolidation plan in the district .

During a meeting on Tuesday, leaders in the largest school district in the region were briefed on the final recommendations from Education Resource Strategies, a Massachusetts consulting firm the district spent $250,000 to provide the 107-page consolidation report.

The consultants recommended the closure of 14 schools, changing the grade configuration of 12 schools and relocating three special schools.

Five full-time and two part-time magnet schools would also become neighborhood schools while opening three new schools, according to the firm's recommendations. Montessori PreK-5 would be the only remaining elementary magnet and would relocate into the Linden facility.

The consulting firm recommended the closure of these 14 schools :

• Allegheny 6-8
• Arsenal PreK-5
  
• Fulton PreK-5
• King PreK-8
• Linden PreK-5
  
• Manchester PreK-8
  
• Miller PreK-5
• Milliones 6-12
• Roosevelt K-5
  
• Schiller 6-8
• South Brook 6-8
• South Hills 6-8
• Spring Hill K-5
  
• Woolslair PreK-5

Based on feedback during community listening sessions over the summer, the consultants recommend not closing Carrick High School, Lincoln PreK-5, Whittier PreK-5 and Weil PreK-5.

The three new schools would be Pittsburgh Sci-Tech (grades 6-8) at Milliones, Pittsburgh Northview (PreK-5) at a renovated Northview Heights facility and Pittsburgh Manchester (grades 6-8) at the renovated Manchester building.

The consultants previously recommended closing 16 schools, opening two new ones and changing the grade level breakdown at 14 schools.

The president of the consulting group said on Tuesday that "student experience was the first priority" and the group listened to community feedback.

"We've tried to keep the student experience at the center of our thinking. So yes, we've absolutely listened closely and responded to community feedback," said Jonathan Travers, president of Education Resource Strategies.

"Our goal with this proposal wasn't to be all things to all people," he added

The district has building capacity for 40,000 students, but only 18,000 students are enrolled. School board members have said the district needs to save money and make better use of the teachers and other educational resources it has.

Board President Gene Walker said district administrators will look at these recommendations and make their own to the school board. If that recommendation includes school closures, a public hearing for each school is required.

"Nothing has been closed yet," Walker said. "So, these are just recommendations that we are considering, and we'll later get further recommendations from the superintendent on their feasibility before we make a final decision."

Walker said most changes being proposed wouldn't be implemented until after next school year.