Future Ready Dashboard

Future-Ready Facilities Plan

At Pittsburgh Public Schools we want the best for your child. That’s why we are working to enhance equity, excellence, efficiency and opportunity for every one of our students, in every one of our schools.

The Future-Ready Facilities Plan involves change but promises to transform our District and the education of our students.

The way we deliver education must evolve to meet the needs of today’s learners. The District must take thoughtful steps to ensure all students receive the high-quality educational experience they deserve. Our school buildings—now averaging 90 years old—were constructed for a very different era, when students sat in rows and learned through passive instruction. Today’s students need modern, student-centered environments that support collaboration, hands-on learning, age-appropriate technology, flexible spaces, and personalized learning pathways. Ensuring every child has access to equitable opportunities and resources requires transforming the spaces and systems that support teaching and learning.

A Streamlined Approach

PPS currently operates five different school configurations – PreK-5, PreK-8, 6-8, 6-12, and 9-12. This contributes to an uneven distribution of resources and opportunities for students. Schools with lower enrollment cannot sustain a broad curriculum, and students do not have the same access to essential subjects such as music, art, world languages or early exposure to STEM and career exploration. By closing or combining schools, we can redirect funds to where they are most needed, improving academic offerings and services for all students.

As part of the Future-Ready Facilities Plan, schools will be reconfigured to allow students to better transition from one grade to the next. Our magnet program will be reimagined. Buildings will be designated as K-5 foundational schools, developmentally responsive 6-8 middle schools and traditional 9-12 high schools.

How are we preparing for the future?

How are we preparing for the future?

After reviewing the comprehensive report from the consulting firm of Education Resource Strategies (ERS), Pittsburgh Public Schools completed a two-part feasibility report and presented a new set of final

recommendations, resulting in the Future-Ready Facilities Plan. It will create scalable pathways to student success while reducing the recommended number of school closures from 14 to 12 and building closures from 10 to 9.

We examined many important factors, including:

Enrollment trends
Capacity, age, condition and quality of existing school buildings
Location of schools relative to where students live
Student experiences and school community dynamics
Needs of special populations

How are we preparing for the future?

Changes to our District will improve access, excellence and efficiency. Here’s how:

More programs across the board in elementary will allow students to explore their passions.
Developmentally responsive middle schools will prepare every student academically, creatively and socially for what comes next.
PreK programs will remain accessible throughout the District.
Secondary-level magnet programming will be preserved to help foster interests in various careers.
Services provided by the Program for Students with Exceptionalities will be situated to reduce transitions and improve accessibility.
Gifted and Talented programs will be integrated into local schools.
English Language Development (ELD) sites will expand from 11 to 17 to better serve multilingual learners.
Grade reconfigurations will improve student transitions, supports, opportunities and experiences.
Credit recovery programs will remain in high schools, allowing students to stay engaged and supported in their home schools.
Renovations and upgrades will modernize facilities in many buildings.

A Fiscally Sound Approach

When you combine the proposed changes with transportation savings, PPS projects an annual savings of up to $7.9 million. By closing nine underused buildings, the District would avoid spending approximately $102.9 million in future facility costs. These savings would allow PPS to reinvest $34.4 million—in addition to the $68.9 million already included in the District’s 7-year Capital Plan—to modernize classrooms, upgrade infrastructure and create more welcoming, high-quality learning spaces.

A Student-Centered Approach

As we consider the best use of our buildings and other resources, we remain focused on these priority outcomes for all students, as outlined in our five-year strategic plan: Students First. Always, in all ways.

Students are prepared for success in life.
Students experience accessible, high-quality learning environments.
Students benefit from community resources.
Disparities in student outcomes are eliminated.
Students are safe and socially, emotionally and physically healthy.
Students are engaged in their learning and school community.

Dashboard

A magnifying glass with a colorful pattern of geometric shapes is displayed against an orange background, accompanied by the text %22Find-My-School Search Tool%22.