PITTSBURGH \u2014 A dozen Pittsburgh Public Schools will not close, at least for now. <\/p>\n
The consolidation plan years in the making was voted down by the board, Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The final was 6-3. <\/p>\n
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent lays out roadmap for district aimed at balancing enrollment<\/a><\/p>\n The vote almost didn\u2019t happen. Board President Gene Walker made a motion to table it, effectively putting it on pause for the next board to act on. It was an attempt to save the plan. It failed in a 5-4 vote.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is what board work is about. It doesn\u2019t always work out quite the way we planned,\u201d Walker said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Plan supporters cited issues like low enrollment,<\/a> finances and aging infrastructure as reasons to move forward.<\/p>\n PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Pittsburgh Public Schools leaders discuss raising taxes at finance meeting\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n The plan would have closed 12 schools across 9 buildings. Seven of the buildings would have closed at the end of this school year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Opponents of the plan largely called out the process itself and cited a lack of clarity and community participation.\u00a0<\/p>\n PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Parents speak out as Pittsburgh Public School board nears vote to start process of closing schools<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s important as board directors we not only listen to professionals in the room but consider what the community is saying,\u201d Walker said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Outgoing Director Sylvia Wilson said this was a missed opportunity to level the playing field across the district.<\/p>\n PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> PPS responds to parents, students rallying against possible school closures ahead of vote<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSo many people look at their personal problems and look at how it impacts only them and they don\u2019t look at the big picture,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI went into this knowing there was a divided board -some for and some against for a variety of reasons. So, that was the vote that was taken and we move from there,\u201d Superintendent Wayne Walters said.\u00a0<\/p>\n He says they\u2019ll reflect on what went wrong and what\u2019s next.\u00a0<\/p>\n As for what\u2019s next?<\/p>\n \u201cI think tonight was very harmful for the work ahead of us. Dr. Walters and his team just have a steeper climb because it looks like we didn\u2019t know what we were doing, tonight,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n One board member attempted to add amendments before the vote. That also failed.<\/p>\n Walters told Channel 11 this will change the budget<\/a> and likely increase the district deficit.\u00a0<\/p>\n Download the FREE WPXI News app<\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. | Watch WPXI NOW<\/a><\/p>\n TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS <\/p>\n \u00a92025 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n