Overview
- The nine-member board voted 6-3 on Tuesday to defeat the Future-Ready Facilities Plan.
- The proposal would have closed nine buildings starting next summer, redrawn attendance boundaries, and launched five years of renovations and program changes.
- Nearly 100 parents packed Monday’s meeting, with most of about 80 speakers opposing the plan over overcrowding, transportation strains, and feared “school deserts.”
- The Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers’ president said cuts and some closures are necessary due to under-enrollment, though the plan went “a little too deep.”
- Board President Gene Walker said the district is “in a worse place” after the vote and noted incoming members next week, while Superintendent Wayne Walters warned of a growing deficit, a proposed 4% tax increase, and persistent equity gaps.