The Pittsburgh Westinghouse Academy 6-12 Bulldogs, left, shake hands with the Taylor Allderdice High School Dragons at the start of their football game, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, at Cupples Stadium in the South Side. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)
Resources are widely different in Pittsburgh schools. At Westinghouse and Allderdice, the disparities range from academic programming to infrastructure.
by Lajja Mistry, PublicSource
Nathan Holmes from Westinghouse Academy is passionate about his high school marching band. It gives the 10th-grader a sense of belonging and a close-knit circle of friends he can trust and depend on.
However, the band has been struggling ever since it started. Until a few years ago, the band did not have a full-time teacher because of budget constraints. The quality of the instruments is subpar and there aren’t enough students to support a full-fledged marching band. Holmes is the only quad drummer and he wishes there were more people with him.
Uneven Scales
As PPS contends with a difficult budget season, PublicSource explores the balance of resources and its effects on students’ futures.
The Pittsburgh Westinghouse Academy 6-12 marching band pumps out a tune as the school’s football team plays against the Taylor Allderdice High School Dragons, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, at Cupples Stadium in the South Side. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)
Westinghouse 6-12 is one of the under-resourced schools in the Pittsburgh Public Schools [PPS] district. The per-pupil funding at Westinghouse was about $25,280 in 2021, the lowest in the school system. As PPS looks toward a growing budget deficit next year, the resource gap between Westinghouse and other high schools will be part of a difficult financial equation.
Roughly three miles away from Westinghouse Academy in Homewood is Allderdice High School in Squirrel Hill. Allderdice is the largest school in the district with nearly 1,400 students. It is a predominately white school and 40% of its students are economically disadvantaged.
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