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WHEREAS, on March 26th, 2025, the board of Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) will vote on whether to start the process to permanently close ten PPS school buildings; and,
WHEREAS, 12% of the students currently enrolled in PPS would be affected by the closure of these ten schools; and,
WHEREAS, the closures will disproportionately affect Black students, as they make up 50% of the total enrollment in PPS, but 63% of students in buildings that will close; and,
WHEREAS, the closures will also disproportionately affect students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) who make up 23% of the district's total enrollment, but 29% of the enrollment of buildings proposed to be closed; and,
WHEREAS, new feeder patterns based on the proposed closures have not yet been completed due to a lack of a Demographic Study; and,
WHEREAS, the results of PPS's Demographic Study and Attendance Zone Development will not be available until August 2025, and feeder patterns, attendance zones, and transportation plans cannot be created until the demographer's report is complete; and,
WHEREAS, the resolution being voted on at the March 26th meeting does not include the school year when the ten buildings would permanently close; and,
WHEREAS, the lack of timelines, completed feeder patterns, and transportation plans have left families across the City of Pittsburgh unsure of which schools their children will attend, how they will get their children to school, and unable to plan for their futures; and,
WHEREAS, there has been no staffing analysis or economic impact survey to determine what effect, if any, this resolution would have on the more than 4,000 staff members in PPS including teachers, paraprofessionals, counselors, food service staff, clerical staff, custodial staff, school safety staff, and administrators; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Pittsburgh is dedicated to being a livable city for all, which includes the more than 18,000 PPS students and their families; and,
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