Pittsburgh Public Schools "Class of 2037" begins school year as district faces questions
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - It's back-to-school week in Pittsburgh, and just as the district returns, it's facing two big issues – the heat and a possible consolidation plan.
On Thursday, as kindergarteners went to school, the superintendent made a special visit to classrooms. KDKA caught up with him to talk about what's on top of parents' minds.
Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Wayne Walters welcomed the 'Class of 2037' on the first day of kindergarten at Spring Hill Elementary School.
It was a day that also brought more heat to the region, causing a warm-up in the more than three dozen district schools still without air conditioning.
In the short term, they've been cutting days in half, with intentions of moving to remote instruction.
In the long-term, they'll have five more buildings with AC by the end of the year, but Walters didn't discuss beyond that time frame.
"We have two that are ready now and three that will be in the spring. However, that price tag was over $30 million so you can see, it's not a cheap or low-cost expenditure to air condition buildings that have an average age of 90 years old," Walters said.
Though, two of those schools are potentially on the chopping block, as a part of 16 schools district consultants are recommending closing in a consolidation plan announced two weeks ago. Walters wouldn't comment on this. A spokesperson told KDKA that the projects came about well in advance of the recommendations, which are not final.
Walters said they're already getting lots of feedback on them.
"Overtime, it will be a phased approach of whatever that decision is," Walters said.
They expect to have that final decision and approval early next year.
"We have to make decisions that may not be popular, but we do them in the best interest of our students," Walters said.
He said that's the case on both fronts.
As for the kindergarteners, it was an easy choice to keep school open.
"As a young child, they probably had their book bags on for three days now, waiting for this day to come, and I did not want to spoil that day," Walters said.