PPS to close nine school buildings while accepting $8 million to support preschool health services

Top Agenda Items

• PPS approves closures of 12 schools
• Directors accept over $8 million in Early-Intervention grant funding

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PPS approves closures of 12 schools

The Pittsburgh Public Schools Board of Directors voted 6-2 with one abstention on May 27 to permanently shutter nine school buildings and close three additional schools despite concerns from parents, students and teachers.

The Student Achievement Center at Baxter School, The Friendship School, Fulton PreK-5, Manchester PreK-8, Miller PreK-5, Schiller 6-8, and Pittsburgh Woolslair PreK-5 are set to close their doors by June 2027. Pittsburgh Spring Hill PreK-5 and Pittsburgh Morrow will stay open until June 2029 when the renovation of Northview PreK-5 is completed and those two schools will close.

Overall 12 schools will be closed as part of the reduction in facilities and grade reconfiguration. Arsenal PreK-5 will be closed and the building will be a dedicated middle school. Allegheny 6-8 will likewise be closed. Linden PreK-5 will close, but the building will remain a school with the Montessori program moving there from the Friendship School. Allegheny K-5 Traditional Academy will move to the King School and Schiller 6-8, a full school STEAM magnet, will become a neighborhood school and move into the Allegheny School.

A new school, SciTech 6-8 will be opened in the Milliones building which currently houses a 6-12 school which is also known as University Prep. There will also be a new early childhood center in Allegheny Annex Early Childhood Center.

Grade configurations will be standardized across the district as elementary, middle, and high schools, while most magnet schools will transition to be neighborhood schools. The Creative and Performing Arts school is set to remain open, and the Montessori elementary school program will shift from Friendship School in Friendship to The Linden School in Point Breeze.

The approved resolution states that the plan is the same as it was initially presented in October, though more information was shared with directors in April. Board President Gene Walker said during a May 20 agenda review meeting that the timeline was the main shift, and no changes will be implemented until after the 2026-27 school year.

Directors Devon Taliaferro of East Allegheny and Emma Yourd of Beechview voted against the plan. Director Erikka Grayson of the Hill District abstained from voting due to a professional conflict relating to her stewardship of an afterschool program that may be affected by the plan.

Taliaferro said she was voting “no” on behalf of the people she represents, while Yourd said she wants to ensure as many students can have the best education possible.

Parents, students and teachers of the affected schools did not waver in their disapproval leading up to the decision. Ninety-one people signed up to speak Tuesday night and the vast majority shared their disdain for the plan.

Many cited a lack of communication and understanding around what the plan will actually accomplish.

Jazzlyn Worthy, whose children attend Woolslair PreK-5 in Bloomfield, which is on the list to be closed, was removed from the room Wednesday night after shouting at the board and pointing after a preliminary vote on an amendment was passed.

The day after the vote Pittsburgh City Controller Rachael Heisler issued a statement that the closures will not rectify the long-term financial problems of Pittsburgh Public Schools.

Directors accept over $8 million in Early-Intervention grant funding

PPS was awarded $8,283,281 across three separate grants to support staff salaries, agency contracts, professional development, travel to state conferences and general program costs for the Early Intervention program.

This accounts for about 1% of the district’s $731 million budget, which carries a $6 million deficit.

The Early Intervention program provides developmental support, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and hearing and vision services for up to 1,600 preschool students in the city.

All three grants come from the Pennsylvania Department of Education Office of Child Development and Early Learning and will be distributed during the 2026-27 school year. The approved resolution notes the grants are flat funded.

Directors accepted the grants without discussion by a unanimous vote during a Wednesday legislative meeting.