Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Close both Oliver and Perry?

On a "Start a new post" Mark Rauterkus said:

"Radio news on KDKA on WED says one PPS consideration is to close both Perry and Oliver on the North Side and build a new school.

Say what?"

5 comments:

Questioner said...

Our old quality school buildings were carefully maintained throughout 100 years of PPS administration. But all can be lost under one administration. The MR/ Lane administration has shown little appreciation for the value of these quality old buildings. Shiny and new can look good at first but take a closer look at how well recent PPS purchases of desks, chairs and tables have held up.

Anonymous said...

Interesting, that was never mentioned at the 2 hour Education Meeting last night where Cate Reed shared the thinking for all decided and proposed changes in feeder patterns. Among many other 'moves' they explored the advantages and disadvantages of closing Perry (which was the decision presented) and moving it to Oliver which was said to be a much bigger building and in better shape.

They also proposed moving Montessori out of Friendship and into Fort Pitt which was said to be larger and more able to serve the waiting list at Montessori currently.

Questioner said...

Continued obliviousness to the importance of location, neighborhoods, connections... it cannot be assumed that the young families in a reviving neighborhood drawn to a school they can walk to will be just as happy to go to Fort Pitt. Way to quash the comeback!

Anonymous said...

Fort Pitt had substantial improvement in PSSA, much greater than in most other schools. The teason given for "closing" Fort Pitt was that there were only about 150 students there. Clearly the drop in enrollment over the past few years was due to the demolition of the Garfield Hgts Projects. That area and beyond has been newly developed with literally hundreds of new homes with more in the development process. These hundreds of homes (with children) are being quickly inhabited. The closing of Fort Pitt means that Garfield children will be sent to Arsenal as the feeder school. Arsenal is much too long and hazardous walk for K-5 children. Will they be bussed?

Will all of the children in the new Garfield Heights Common homes be bussed when Fort Pitt is just within several hundred yards of where they live?

Since Fort Pitt is designated as "closed" and children have been assigned elsewhere WHY did the conversation by Cate Reed & Company SUDDENLY turn to moving Montessori from Friendship to Fort Pitt at last night's meeting (10/4/11)? Just asking???

Anonymous said...

There has never been talk of building a new school. The idea is that the new "merged" school will open in either Oliver or Perry.