Our neighborhood school (and one of the district’s highest performing elementary schools), Fulton Elementary, has been recommended to the school board for closure. The public engagement process was very limited, taking place over the summer months and the first week of the school year. Not only would the impact of Fulton closing be very bad for our neighborhood, but the impact of the plan on the district overall (and on the city) could be devastating.

For reference:  here’s info on PPS’ Facilities Utilization Plan process, and here’s the proposal (by out-of-town consultants) to revamp the district from top to bottom, including building closures, which they plan to finalize this month.  

District 2 Board Member Devon Taliaferro is hosting a local feedback session about the PPS draft Facilities Utilization plan at Fulton (5799 Hampton St) on Tuesday September 10 from 5-7 pm. Devon especially wants to hear from families in her district that are impacted by the proposed changes, but everyone is welcome. Schools in District 2 include: Pittsburgh Arsenal PreK-5, Pittsburgh Arsenal 6-8, Pittsburgh Dilworth PreK-5, Pittsburgh Fulton PreK-5, Pittsburgh Schiller 6-8, Pittsburgh Spring Hill K-5, Pittsburgh Sunnyside PreK-8, Pittsburgh Woolslair K-5, Pittsburgh Spring Garden Early Childhood Center.  The Facebook event for Tuesday’s meeting at Fulton is here: https://www.facebook.com/share/uxxvL5vdXf2rkwgL.  

PPS has just two other public meetings about the plan left (that we’re aware of):

• Thursday, September 5, 2024 6-8 PM: Pittsburgh Arsenal 6-8 220 40th St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201
• Wednesday, September 11, at 6:00 PM – Virtual meeting; Register for the session here.

HPCC has been trying to keep up with the fast pace of PPS’ Facilities Utilization Plan process, which has primarily taken place over the summer months. On August 13, the school board-hired consulting team unveiled a proposal to revamp the district from top to bottom, including building closures. 

Fulton PreK-5, in the heart of our neighborhood on Hampton Street, is on the list of potential building closures, but nothing is final. Many community members and education advocates have significant concerns about the initial proposal, including not seriously considering equity issues, transportation problems, or keeping high-performing programs intact. The district also made the controversial decision to stop allowing constituents to testify at public hearings virtually, which has been an option since early 2020. 

The District is hosting three regional feedback sessions this week, as well as a virtual session next week, and we want to encourage everyone to attend in person or participate virtually (we are also working with District 2 Board Member Devon Taliaferro and Pittsburgh Fulton PTA to have a local feedback session, but nothing is finalized; we’ll post more info when/if we get a date and time locked in). The locations of the only meetings currently scheduled are:

• Tuesday, September 3, 2024, 6-8 PM: Pittsburgh Allderdice High School 2409 Shady Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15217
• Wednesday, September 4, 2024 6-8 PM: Pittsburgh Carrick High School 125 Parkfield St, Pittsburgh, PA 15210
• Thursday, September 5, 2024 6-8 PM: Pittsburgh Arsenal 6-8 220 40th St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201
• Wednesday, September 11, at 6:00 PM: Webinar – Register for the session here.

Look at the ‘Upcoming Community Engagement’ tab on the Facilities Utilization page for more details on these meetings.

It’s our understanding that the board may vote on this plan before the end of September, which would open up another round of public comment. We encourage everyone in our community, regardless of whether you or your family have or had children at Fulton, to pay attention to this process and consider how losing a well-regarded, high-performing school would impact our neighborhood. Please make your voices heard!

The 3rd annual Hullabaloo will be held on Thursday, Sept. 19th from 4-7pm at Rhododendron Shelter in Highland Park.

The annual neighborhood BBQ will include free food, live music, face painting* & children’s activities, “Soda from Around the World” tasting, beer tasting (with ID) featuring “The Best of 16 Local Breweries,” and door prizes! Come meet and relax with your neighbors as we say goodbye to summer and hello to fall!

*Facepainting will take place from 4:30 to 6:30pm.

Musical Lineup

• 4-5 pm Downtempo – West African percussion and other “world music”
• 5 – 6 pm Mitch Hal – Appalachian music on his 5-string banjo
• 6 – 7 pm Stangarang – will play original tunes and popular covers

Bakers! Show off and share your favorite cookies, bars, and brownies at the Hullabaloo. For every dozen you bring, you’ll get an extra ticket in the door prize raffle. If you’re planning on bringing treats, please let us know so we can plan accordingly.

Door prizes include:
– 2 passes to the Frick Museum
– 2 passes to the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium
– Gift cards for Tazza D’oro, Gallery Ama, and Periwinkle Fox
– Potted plants and a one year membership to Highland Park Garden Club
– Tickets for a late season Pirates game

Join us this Thursday in person for the August HPCC Community Meeting & DAM meeting for a proposed new business at 5642 Bryant Street.

When:  Thursday, August 15th at 7 p.m.

Where:  St. Andrew’s basement hall, 5801 Hampton Street

In addition to updates from Zone 5 and the HPCC, we’ll be having a DAM meeting about a proposed project on Bryant Street. The property is currently zoned as residential and is a two-unit dwelling.  The owner is requesting it be rezoned as mixed use to allow for a first floor business: 

“Whisker Wonderland will be a small cat lounge and adoption center, where people can come experience and interact with rescued community cats in a natural way.  Patrons can come to pet cats, work/study, spend time with friends, attend events, and to potentially adopt.”  

Come to learn more, ask questions, and voice any concerns. Pizza will be served!

The school board’s discussion to potentially close schools continues, and you still have the chance to make your voice heard in support of Fulton. The district is developing plans to save money, with actions including closing schools, changing feeder patterns and restructuring existing schools. Fulton was on the chopping block a few years back, sparking concern in the neighborhood that it might be up for consideration for closure now.

There are four easy things you can do to engage and make your voice heard. 

1. Sign this petition asking the school board to extend the deadline. Also share this link with your friends and family who are in the district.
2. Show up at the Town Hall meetings the district is holding about the Facilities Utilization Plan (see this link for details, dates and locations)
3. Sign up to testify at the public hearing on July 22nd (Sign ups open on July 15th – find details here)
4. And, importantly spread the word and share this information far and wide.

Fulton’s PTA is advocating for the district to pause the current process, extend the deadline, and engage in a new thorough and thoughtful process that will work toward building a truly thriving district with a supportive community.

Whether or not you have kids who attend or have attended Fulton, consider how a closure might impact you and your neighborhood. Highland Park becomes a less desirable place to live for families without a school in the heart of the neighborhood.

Plus, the specter of an empty school anywhere and especially a block away from the main business district has potential negative implications. Other empty school buildings in the city quickly fall into disrepair, where they become unsightly and attract vandalism.

Note: FULTON WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.  No decisions have been made about which schools will be impacted for the following year.