Letter to the editor: Reopening Pittsburgh's schools safely

I have to admire the restraint of Pittsburgh Public Schools board member Kevin Carter’s comments about the recent proposed City Council resolution regarding our “educational emergency” while we try to reopen Pittsburgh’s schools safely during a global pandemic (“Pittsburgh City Council accused of ‘grandstanding’ as it seeks involvement in school district’s pandemic response,” Jan. 27, TribLIVE). To call the council’s late stage involvement “grandstanding” is far too kind.

Over 300 of us — teachers, board members and many others — participated all summer in plans to reopen schools safely. Councilman Ricky Burgess, the author of the resolution, did not participate in these long, difficult conversations and plans. City Council did not offer any tangible support. Meanwhile, the city continued its practice of skimming tax revenue from the school district, a continuation of Act 47, the 2004 financial recovery plan intended to rescue the city from financial ruin. But now, three years after the city was declared financially solvent, it continues to collect these revenues.

I have no doubt everyone in our city wants our students and teachers back safely in classrooms. In lieu of attention-grabbing news conferences and meaningless resolutions, City Council could start by returning the $60 million it’s collected since its solvency declaration to the students of Pittsburgh Public Schools. Unlike the news conferences, this step would be invaluable in assisting with the safe reopening and sustaining of the schools our children and families desperately need.

Jon Parker

McCandless