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Community leaders, parents press board to rethink Future Ready plan and halt rushed closures
Summary
Speakers at the Dec. 15 hearing urged the Pittsburgh Public Schools board to pause the Future Ready reconfiguration, prioritize community schools and equity, and avoid rushing building closures that could harm students with IEPs and erode trust.
Several parents, union leaders and community advocates urged the Pittsburgh Public Schools board to slow down its facilities reconfiguration and rework the district's Future Ready proposals with more community input, stronger equity measures and clearer operational plans.
"This was the right decision because the plan lacked critical specifics on how PPS will address the academic needs of students, especially those who have been historically underserved," said Dr. Alyce Pinchback Johnson, executive director of Black Women for a Better Education, referring to the board's earlier rejection of the most recent plan.
Speakers said the district should center the needs of marginalized students, set measurable goals (for example, third‑grade reading and middle‑school math proficiency rates), and strengthen memoranda of understanding with the equity advisory panel.
Shannon Schreiner, a Fulton Elementary parent, warned the board that Fulton is not a failing school and that consolidation risks destroying the social supports and sense of belonging that benefit students with IEPs. "You cannot replicate belonging by merging buildings," she said, urging the board to review prior committee presentations and engage parents before advancing closures.
Sandra Wooley, chair of the PEN Education Task Force, recommended rebuilding the district's plan through genuine stakeholder engagement, including city and county officials, nonprofits and foundations, and called for the district to share decision‑making with the public.
Union leaders and staff representatives emphasized the human capacity limits that will affect any reconfiguration. Billy Heilman, president of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, said staff shortages, lack of substitutes and overstretched counselors and specialists must be addressed before pursuing major closures or consolidations.
Several speakers asked the board to relocate some central office functions into school buildings with capacity to keep administrators closer to classrooms and to use the coming year to demonstrate an operational model that supports equity and stable transitions for families.
The testimony did not include a board decision; commenters asked the board to ensure any next steps include more robust data, transparent timelines, and direct community participation.
