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City Council
Violence prevention money could pay for programs at another rec center. Council advanced a request for $200,000 from the Stop the Violence fund for McKinley Recreation Center in Beltzhoover. On July 28, a similar request for Glen Hazel's rec center won final approval. The council president has backed these requests, but he said rec centers don't attract the youth most at risk of gun violence.
School Board
The school board's May vote to close up to 12 schools didn't end families' opposition. At a June 22 hearing, speakers faulted the Future Ready plan and the conduct of board members who approved it. Several said a board member laughed at a parent in May. That parent said trust has been broken, noting half the board faces reelection next year.
School Board
Several speakers told the school board the district can't stabilize unless the city addresses why families are leaving. At a June 22 hearing, they urged the board to advocate for family-sized housing. The board doesn't set housing policy, but it's one of three local bodies that set real estate taxes. One speaker objected to any school tax money going to the proposed Downtown TRID.
School Board
The public has traditionally had 30 days to review the district's student code of conduct, a board member said. This time, a bid to delay the vote for public comment failed, and the board approved the new code 5-3. Before the vote, the superintendent said the code isn't technically a policy, and a delay could hold up translation.
City Council
Right now, Saundra and James Cole run children's activities at Glen Hazel's Burgwin Recreation Center, but that's no longer sustainable. On July 8, 16 residents, including six children, came to council to back funding programs there. The area's council member argued the Stop the Violence fund should pay. Council held the bill two weeks to give the mayor time to work toward a solution.
City Council
Council is weighing whether the Stop the Violence fund should pay for youth programs at Glen Hazel's Burgwin Recreation Center. Until recently, volunteers ran afterschool and summer programs there, but that's no longer sustainable. Some council members were uneasy using the fund without following its guidelines. For now, council has held the request for two weeks.
School Board
Up to 1,600 preschoolers get therapy, hearing and vision services, and developmental support through Pittsburgh Public Schools' Early Intervention program. Now, directors unanimously accepted over $8 million in state grants for it, without discussion. That's about 1% of the district's $731 million budget, which carries a $6 million deficit. The flat-funded grants will be distributed during the 2026-27 school year.
School Board
Twelve Pittsburgh Public Schools are set to close as the district reorganizes grade levels. On May 27, the board approved the plan 6-2, with one abstention. Before the vote, most of the 91 people who signed up to speak opposed it, and many cited a lack of communication. The board president said nothing will change until after the 2026-27 school year.
School Board
The city halted a roofing project at Westwood Elementary because its contractor lacked proper permits. About six months later, the Pittsburgh Public Schools board approved a roof replacement of just over $1 million for Grandview PreK-5. This time, it chose an Ohio firm that picked the lowest bidder as subcontractor. Work starts this month and should wrap by 2028.
School Board
Since 2009, Pittsburgh Public Schools has let parents excuse children from lessons that conflict with religious beliefs. In April, the board voted 6-2 to add sincerely held moral beliefs. Requests now need a specific written reason, and families get at least three weeks' notice of possibly controversial lessons. But a director who voted no worried the notice rule could burden teachers.
School Board
Some Pittsburgh Public Schools families may not know their kids are owed services missed in the pandemic. The district says it owes students with disabilities over 600,000 hours, and most haven't received them. This spring, the district plans robocalls to families using under 15% of their hours. This week, the board is set to approve summer programs to provide them.
School Board
Pittsburgh Public Schools parents have asked a board member how to weigh in on the calendar. A committee of staff, parents, teachers, and a social worker drew up the draft. If the board approves the proposed 2026-2027 calendar, students won't get the Monday after Thanksgiving off. That day used to open deer season, but the state moved it this year.
School Board
On Feb. 17, the school board agreed to decide before summer whether to close nine school buildings. The board rejected the closure plan in November, then voted in January to reconsider it. Directors asked for more information on staffing and on the buildings if they close. Then, at a Feb. 23 hearing, parents opposed the closures, and one said many questions remain unanswered.
School Board
A district facilities plan proposed eliminating most of Pittsburgh's K-5 magnet programs. One board member said Pittsburgh Montessori should go too if the plan passes, for fairness. Then, on Feb. 25, the board unanimously denied a charter bid from Three Rivers Wildflower Montessori. About 20 parents, students, and teachers had defended Montessori at a hearing two days earlier.
School Board
A plan to close nine Pittsburgh Public Schools buildings is back on the table. After rejecting it 6-3 in November, the board voted 8-0 on Jan. 28 to reopen discussion. That version would have meant new schools for about 6,000 of the district's 18,000 students. Still, the board president said the vote wasn't an approval, and public meetings are next.
School Board
Some Philips K-5 students will learn while walking instead of sitting through lessons. On Jan. 28, the school board authorized a pilot where students walk indoors while listening to a curriculum-based podcast. A nonprofit is providing it at no cost. The district's academic chief said it's considering expanding the program to other schools over the next several years.
InformUp readers will soon get coverage of the Pittsburgh Public Schools board and Allegheny County Council. Each will have its own newsletter, included with existing city council subscriptions. Over the past year, the newsroom said, it shared over 2,500 reader survey responses with city council members. It also shared coverage of December's school board meeting, which approved a 2% property tax increase.
School Board
Starting this fall, Pittsburgh Public Schools students must turn in their phones at the start of each school day. The school board unanimously approved the policy on Dec. 17. Students also can't take, share, or view photos or videos of anyone on school property. Still, questions in an earlier draft about how to collect and monitor phones weren't addressed.
School Board
On Dec. 17, the Pittsburgh Public Schools board voted 6 to 3 to raise property taxes 2% in its 2026 budget. The board president said it should cost the average homeowner about $13 more a year. A 4% increase was first proposed, but the finance chief said it would've violated state law.
City Council
Some lower-income neighborhoods lack a city recreation center or a strong nonprofit offering after-school programs. A bill would let city staff run programs in Pittsburgh Public Schools buildings there instead. A pilot for kindergarten through fifth grade would start in October at schools in Lincoln Place, Sheraden, and Brookline. Details are still in the works, but it won't cost the city.