logo
  • News
    • Northside Community Meetings
    • Community Calendar
    • Elected Officials
    • Features
    • Local Business
    • Public Safety
    • Sports
  • Arts + Culture
  • Real Estate
  • Classifieds
  • Marketplace
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
    • News
      • Northside Community Meetings
      • Community Calendar
      • Elected Officials
      • Features
      • Local Business
      • Public Safety
      • Sports
    • Arts + Culture
    • Real Estate
    • Classifieds
    • Marketplace
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
Features
admin, on
October 26, 2011
Northsiders speak out at PPS public hearing

Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-style-parent:””;
font-size:11.0pt;”Calibri”,”sans-serif”;
mso-fareast-“Times New Roman”;}

Monday night at a Pittsburgh Public Schools public hearing, one wing of the meeting room was filled with Perry High School’s Commodore blue, while the other was filled with people in black T-shirts that read “Oliver High School, better than ever.”

The public hearing focused largely on the two Northside high schools, one of which the district’s realignment plan has slated for closure.

The plan, which was announced in August, originally called for Oliver High School to close and combine with Perry in the hopes of filling 10,191 unused seats in the district and reducing a projected $41.2 million budget district-wide deficient.

Eighty-eight speakers signed up for PPS’s public hearing on Monday at PPS’s administrative offices, where they could speak in front of the board without argument or rebuttal. The majority of the speakers addressed the proposed Perry Oliver merger. 

Speakers from Perry and Oliver argued largely in favor of their own schools

Supporters of Oliver said that their building was larger, has a nearby field and free childcare, cosmetology, JROTC and culinary programs in house. 

Perry supporters emphasized the new HVAC system, central location of the school, musical-friendly auditorium, recent $7 million renovations and AYP standards as reasons to preserve Perry.

Others in attendance focused less on the buildings and facilities, but rather on curriculum and strategy of combining two rival schools instead. 

Eric Ewell came to talk to the board about transportation issues on the East End, but addressed the Perry and Oliver speakers before he began.

“You are divided, and you will be conquered,” he said about the scoffs and yells the audience made to opposing speakers. “The core of it all is education” 

Despite high tension, throughout the night, any mention of unity and working together drew applause from both the Perry and Oliver sides.

“Look at this room – Perry on one side, Oliver on the other. We should all be coming together,” said Nichole Tarver, who asked the board for a year of transition before the merge. 

“We have an opportunity to be innovative,” said Derek Long, a teacher at Oliver who came to speak as a member of the community, asked the board to focus on the task of merging the two schools. “This is an opportunity to draw students back.”

Dr. Rochelle Oaks, another Oliver teacher who had three children go to Perry echoed Long’s sentiment of unity. 

“I am not loyal to a building. I am loyal to students,” she told the board.

The school board will vote on the realignment plan as early as November 22 for the 2012-2013 school year.

Donate today to help support the Northside community newspaper's mission to provide hyperlocal coverage for our neighborhoods, neighbors, and their future.

Related Posts
e-Edition
Northside Neighborhoods
Northside Guides
FORMS + SUBMISSIONS
Events Letters to the Editor News Tips
POLL
MOST READ
Real Estate Transfers March 5 to March 11
Features, News...
Real Estate Transfers March 5 to March 11
March 20, 2023
Allegheny City Central North Side Assoc. to Neuman Investing LLC at 215 Alpine Ave. for $195,000. East Deutschtown Quadvestors LLC to Richard Ryan II ...
this is a test
Real Estate Transfers Feb. 26 to March 4
Features, News...
Real Estate Transfers Feb. 26 to March 4
March 20, 2023
Allegheny City Central Coast Properties LLC to Thomas Weinlandt and Kendall Post at 1219 Veto St. for $368,600. Brighton Heights FOF Properties LLC to...
this is a test
Real Estate Transfers Feb. 19 to Feb. 25
News, Real Estate...
Real Estate Transfers Feb. 19 to Feb. 25
March 20, 2023
Allegheny City Central Mark Fleischer to James and Amie Sparks Ball at 1202 Sherman Ave. for $400,000. Edward Villella to Louis Kroeck and Sarah Chath...
this is a test
Town Talk: Pizza! Pizza! Not your typical pizza chains
Allegheny City Central, Business...
Town Talk: Pizza! Pizza! Not your typical pizza chains
March 20, 2023
Most Northsiders are likely familiar with the phrase “Pizza! Pizza!” from the TV commercial promoting a national pizza chain. Yet (and to our benefit)...
this is a test
February poll results
Editor Picks, Features...
February poll results
March 18, 2023
February saw the launch of an exciting new feature on The Northside Chronicle’s website: polls! We asked our visitors to cast their votes on a variety...
this is a test
Neighborhood Community Development Fund
Northside Leadership Conference
Donate

The Northside Chronicle

thenorthsidechronicle.com
Phone: (412) 321-3919
Email: [email protected]

About Us

Stay tuned with us

Copyright ©2022 Northside Chronicle. All rights reserved.