PITTSBURGH — The state budget impasse is forcing the area’s largest school district to cut spending.
Outlined in an email to staff Thursday morning, Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent Dr. Wayne Walters is now restricting district spending as the state budget impasse drags on
Effective immediately, hiring for vacant positions not serving students in a classroom are on pause. Non-essential purchases are also frozen. Travel and overtime deemed unnecessary are temporarily restricted.
“Being four months behind really puts us in a bind and causes us to make some really tough decisions,” said PPS Board President Gene Walker.
Walker agrees with the latest decision.
He says the district relies heavily on state funding and with no budget reached, leaders now have to take a second look at spending.
“If there’s no money to pay teachers, they’re not going to show up to work; if they don’t show up to work, we don’t have school,” Walker said.
Right now, the school’s chief financial officer is reviewing more cost-saving methods.
Walker says this could include looking to borrow money if a budget isn’t passed.
Service cuts could also be on the table.
“Four days a week of school instead of five, things like that. Worst case scenario would be laying off teachers or administrative staff,” Walker said.
Those are hypothetical scenarios he hopes will never happen.
In the meantime, Walker believes this moment of uncertainty could create a lesson on budgeting for the future.
“I hope that we learn, as a school district, through this forced spending cut, ways that we can be more efficient in the way that we do spending long-term,” Walker said.
The superintendent says essential services such as classroom instruction, meals and transportation will remain unaffected for now.
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