Numerous Pittsburgh Schools To Close Under Final Consolidation Plan

PITTSBURGH, PA — A final Pittsburgh Public Schools consolidation plan would close 14 buildings and reconfigure grades in an additional dozen. The controversial recommendations by Massachusetts-based Education Resource Strategies were released Tuesday.

The final plan differs from an August preliminary one that called for closing 16 schools and reconfiguring grades at 14 more. The recommendations were tweaked after public hearings and vociferous criticism from community members.

"The final recommendations, shaped by valuable community input, represent a thoughtful approach to achieving equity, excellence, and efficiency across our district,” Superintendent Wayne Walters said in a release.

"While change can be challenging, this proposal offers a strategic vision for the future of Pittsburgh Public Schools. It aligns our facilities with the evolving needs of our students and communities, equity, excellence and efficiency."

The recommendations incorporate community feedback by proposing to keep Pittsburgh Carrick High School, Pittsburgh Lincoln PreK-5, and Pittsburgh Whittier open, despite their initial identification for closure.

The recommendations also outlines adjustments for the district’s special schools and supports maintaining the Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 program at its current location due to significant investments in the facility and strong student performance.

The proposed plan streamlines the district’s structure from 54 to 42 schools. It further relocates three special schools and one center program, transitions five full magnet schools and two partial magnet schools into neighborhood schools while opening three new schools: Pittsburgh Sci-Tech (6-8), Pittsburgh Northview (PreK-5), Pittsburgh Manchester (6-8).

Here are the changes:

South/West Region

Closures: South Brook 6-8, South Hills 6-8 and Roosevelt K-5.

Pittsburgh Carrick High School will remain open, ensuring two high schools continue serving the region.

The Roosevelt facility will house both the Student Achievement Center and the Pittsburgh Online Academy drop-in site.

Brookline becomes a K-5 school, with students in grades 6-8 moving to a newly consolidated Carmalt 6-8.

Langley will transition from a K-8 to a K-5 school, with students in grade 6-8 moving to Pittsburgh Classical 6-8.

Carmalt K-5 students will transition to Brookline K-5 or West Liberty K-5.

Pittsburgh Arlington will become a full 6-8 school, with its PreK-5 students moving to feeder schools.

The Spanish magnet program at Pittsburgh Phillips will be phased out.

Closures: Pittsburgh Allegheny 6-8, Manchester PreK-8, Schiller 6-8, Spring Hill K-5 and King PreK-8.

Renovated facilities: Pittsburgh Manchester will reopen as a 6-8 program. Northview Heights will reopen as a PreK-5 program, serving Spring Hill and Northview students.

Both Manchester and Northview will also become English Language Development sites.

Pittsburgh Allegheny PreK-5 will transition to a neighborhood school.

A new 6-8 STEM neighborhood school will provide a pathway to STEM programming at Pittsburgh Perry High School.

King K-5 students will move to an expanded Pittsburgh Allegheny K-5, with King serving as a swing school during renovations.

East/Central Region

Closures: Pittsburgh Arsenal PreK-5, Fulton PreK, Linden PreK-5, Milliones 6-12, Miller PreK-5, and Woolslair PreK-5.

Pittsburgh Dilworth and Liberty will transition into neighborhood schools, and Sunnyside will shift from PreK-8 to PreK-5.

Pittsburgh Linden will become the new home for Pittsburgh Montessori PreK-5, becoming the District’s sole K-5 magnet school.

Colfax will become a 6-8 school, with Greenfield and Mifflin shifting to PreK-5.

Milliones will house the new SciTech Academy 6-8 neighborhood magnet, with the current SciTech 6-12 in Oakland consolidating into a 9-12 neighborhood magnet.

Arsenal 6-8 will expand to become a IB (Middle Years Programme) neighborhood magnet, and Pittsburgh Obama will transition to a 9-12 IB neighborhood magnet.

Westinghouse will shift to a 9-12 model and add a Neighborhood Magnet, with its 6-8 students moving to Pittsburgh Sterrett 6-8.