Many elementary and middle schools across Pittsburgh could double or triple in size if city school board members vote to move forward with a proposal for school consolidations.
Consultants with Education Resource Strategies (ERS) — hired by Pittsburgh Public Schools to review its facility footprint — say closing and merging schools would better distribute the district’s students and resources. Their final recommendations come amid declining enrollment, aging infrastructure and disparate access to district resources.
An internal utilization report obtained by WESA earlier this year found district schools were on average just over 50% full. If approved, ERS’ proposal would close 10 school buildings and reconfigure more than a dozen others.
The district’s newly consolidated K-12 schools would be nearly 70% full on average, according to a WESA analysis of school capacity and enrollment figures ERS presented to school board members last month.
The proposed school enrollment data assumes all K-8 students who attended closed schools or phased-out magnet programs are relocated to their newly merged neighborhood school.
Under that scenario, schools like Weil PreK-5 in the Hill District and Manchester PreK-8 on the North Side would roughly triple in size. The latter building would require major renovations to increase its capacity.
Consultants suggested PPS transform Manchester PreK-8, currently one of the district’s smallest schools, into a middle school hub for the city’s North Side with 436 additional students. Their proposal cites the region’s growing English learner population, as well as Manchester’s proximity to charter schools competing for city students.
“Investing in a significantly renovated facility could attract families back to the district,” consultants told board members.
Weil would grow by 410 students by absorbing students from nearby Miller K-5 and students currently leaving the Hill District for the district’s selective magnet schools. In August, consultants initially proposed closing Weil over Miller, but ultimately reversed course, citing Weil’s more central location and better amenities.
City high schools, meanwhile, would either stay relatively stable or shrink as the district’s combined 6-12 schools are split into traditional middle and high school models. PPS leaders say doing so would better provide developmentally appropriate support to students.
At Westinghouse Academy in Homewood, that would result in the relocation of 200 middle school students to Sterrett 6-8 in Point Breeze. Under the proposal, Westinghouse would become the smallest high school in the district, with just 362 students.
Consultants recommended school leaders consider alternative uses for any vacant space created by consolidations, such as teacher centers dedicated to professional learning and space for community partners to provide services to families.
District leaders are currently exploring the feasibility of this plan before it goes to a vote. Enrollment and capacity figures could also change based on the district’s class size requirements, which vary by what grades a building serves:
- Early childhood centers serve up to 20 students per classroom
- K-5 schools serve up to 25 students per classroom
- K-8 schools serve up to 26 students per classroom
- 6-8 schools serve up to 28 students per classroom
- 6-12 schools serve fit up to 29 students per classroom
- 9-12 schools serve fit up to 30 students per classroom
Multi-grade programs like Montessori and special education classrooms have different limits. Standard special education classrooms serve up to 12 students, up to six students in small classrooms and up to eight students in autistic support and multiple disability classrooms.
School board president Gene Walker said district leaders will do what they think is best to ensure equity in the district.
“And then work really hard to make sure that the families that are most affected by it get the resources and support they need during the transition so that it becomes a positive experience long-term,” he said.
