By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Pittsburgh Public Schools is changing its start date again.
READ MORE: Parents Criticize Pittsburgh Public Schools Leaders During Community HearingPPS families got a phone message from Superintendent Dr. Anthony Hamlet Wednesday saying the start date will be Friday, Sept. 3 instead of Wednesday, Sept. 8.
The original decision to push back the start of school by two weeks to Sept. 8 made many parents unhappy. The district has blamed the delay on the seat gap on school buses and staff concerns about masks in hot buildings with no air conditioning and the spread of COVID-19.
Hamlet’s message says the new start date “allows all students to start as early as possible while also giving the District time to fully implement transportation strategies designed to meet the bus driver shortage and transport students to school every day.”
Mayor Bill Peduto weighed in on how the district’s uncertainty has been affecting families. He wonders why this wasn’t dealt with sooner.
“There’s an obligation to the families of Pittsburgh that the school district owes them and they owe them the ability to know with certainty when school will be open. So it’s good news to hear it’s five days sooner, but they still have to answer as to why they didn’t have this completed over the summer,” said Peduto.
READ MORE: Without Union Approval, Pittsburgh Public Schools Return Remains UncertainParents levied sharp criticism against administrators during a community hearing Tuesday. Some questioned the 11th-hour scramble to fill the bus driver shortage, which impacts more than 5,000 students. Others were frustrated with the proposed staggering of school start and end times so drivers could reach more schools. Parents also felt pushing the start of school back is unacceptable given that the district has known for months about the transportation shortage.
“I understand the challenges that many of our families have faced this past year and continue to face as we continue to manage the impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic. Our number one goal remains to have all students PreK 12 across the city in school 5 days a week for in-person instruction,” said Hamlet’s message.
The school board voted 9-0 on Wednesday night to approve the calendar revision.
Pittsburgh Public Schools first day of school will be Sept. 3; the board approved the calendar revision with a 9-0 vote tonight. @KDKA
— Jessica Guay (@JessicaGuayTV) August 19, 2021
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