Pittsburgh Public Schools Student Voice members (from left) Isaiah Trumbull, Pavel Marin and Andrea Edwards at the Student Voice Conference held on March 3, 2022 at Duquesne University. (Photo by Lajja Mistry/PublicSource)
Students want more investments in mental health, academic programs and field trips.
Wayne Walters, superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools [PPS], calls himself “unapologetically student-first.”
In an attempt to elevate student voices, Walters has introduced an initiative that will allow PPS students to have a say in how a fraction of the state-received American Rescue Plan [ARP] Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief [ESSER] funds could be used.
Called the Student-Led ESSER Funding, the initiative will be led by a 14-member ESSER subcommittee of the Student Voice effort in PPS. Members of the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council [SSAC] and the Students and Government Council [SAGC] will work together to develop proposals for spending a part of the ESSER funds based on student needs.
ESSER is a pandemic-driven federal effort to stabilize schools that included three rounds approved by Congress in 2020 and 2021.
PPS received about $100 million in ARP ESSER or ESSER III funding from the state to address pandemic-induced learning loss. Of this, $357,400 has been allocated for the Student-Led ESSER Funding. The district determined the amount based on giving every pupil from grades six through 12 a say over $25. The student proposals approved through this initiative by the district’s board may use the allocated ESSER dollars until the funds expire in 2024.
“It’s so powerful when students are doing things for themselves. So it’s sort of like, by us, for us,” said Walters.
In his 12 years at PPS, Allderdice High School junior Pavel Marin had not previously seen any student organization leading a budget initiative. Marin, who is also a member of the SSAC, said he not only looked forward to working with the central office and the superintendent but also collaborating at the school level with principals and other students.
‘Safe spaces’ and mental health supports top students’ priorities list
The initiative was launched on Jan. 26 in three phases. As part of the first rollout phase, the subcommittee sent out an ESSER Funds Needs Assessment Survey across all 6-12 and 9-12 schools in PPS.
About 1,750 students, out of a total of almost 7,000 PPS middle- and high-school students, listed their top three priorities for spending the money. Dominic DiNunzio, a junior at CAPA 6-12, wanted to see extra funds that could pay for his mock trial team to participate in competitions. At Allderdice, Marin said, many students wanted funding for sports.
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