Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a measure to create a formal partnership between the city and Pittsburgh Public Schools.
The legislation, sponsored by Councilman Ricky Burgess, aims to bring the city and school district together to address the learning gap resulting from the covid pandemic and racial achievement gap in the city’s schools.
The measure establishes the Pittsburgh City-School District Partnership, which will include the mayor, the president of City Council, up to three additional council members, the city controller, the Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent, the president of the Pittsburgh Board of Public Education and up to three additional board members.
The legislation proposes the group’s agenda should focus on school safety, emergency child care, summer and after-school programs, universal childcare and education and transportation.
A Pittsburgh Public Schools spokeswoman has not responded to repeated requests for comment on the legislation.
Burgess has said he hopes the partnership will help the school and the city to “coordinate all the resources we both have” to provide better opportunities for Pittsburgh’s youth.
