The inauguration of Ed Gainey as Pittsburgh’s mayor last week didn’t just herald a new era of Pittsburgh’s city politics: It could also mean a dramatic change for Pittsburgh Public Schools. 

Former Mayor Bill Peduto and former Superintendent Anthony Hamlet sparred publicly several times over the past five years and for long stretches refused to even meet with each other. 

Gainey, a graduate of Pittsburgh Public Schools, has promised a new era of cooperation with the school district, as the district itself is undergoing leadership change. 

The honeymoon began in December when Gainey, as mayor-elect, attended a celebration after the district named Wayne Walters its interim superintendent. The two already knew each other as Walters was the principal at the high school attended by the mayor’s eldest daughter. On Gainey’s inauguration day, the school district declared Jan. 3 “Mayor Edward Gainey Day.”

But the district and the Peduto administration started with a promise of cooperation as well, and some of the friction points have not yet been addressed. There could be a new superintendent hired early in Gainey’s term and, if that happens, it’s unclear how they would get along.

If Gainey and the district can keep communication lines open, school district superintendents across Allegheny County said there are a number of key areas where Pittsburgh could benefit: coordinating with police, creating walking and transportation routes, bringing delinquent properties back onto the tax rolls, shared buying power for bulk goods, adapting to demographic changes, increasing after-school programming and many others.

Saleem Ghubril, the executive director of the Pittsburgh Promise, said one of the city’s boldest education initiatives came about because of city and district collaboration. A generation of Pittsburgh high school graduates have been receiving college scholarships because of former Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s commitment to the Promise. It was the first time Ghubril said he heard a mayor say, “I cannot effectively develop my neighborhoods until you give me schools that people want to send their kids to.”

While the potential for bold collaborations exist, the school district’s relationship to the city could be tested early by several contentious issues. For example, district officials said they’re going to press the city to return $20 million in yearly income tax money that they say the district is owed: The money is collected by the district and went to the district budget before 2004. So far, Gainey has only promised to study the issue.  

The district is also planning to hold discussions about consolidating schools to save money as it looks to close a yearly budget deficit of more than $50 million. Gainey says he is opposed to closing schools.

Read entire article here