Parents frustrated after Pittsburgh Public Schools abruptly delay start of school due to laptop shortage

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Public Schools were supposed to start classes online Monday, but the start date has been pushed back to next week.

Parents had 36 hours to change their plans, and that’s frustrating many of them who feel they didn’t get enough notice.

“We already got the tablet, she got her little supplies from the school. We were just ready to go today,” said parent Tawana Davis.

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Davis was ready to begin the new normal for her daughter’s education, a normal that was abruptly delayed Saturday night due to a shortage of devices for students.

Davis said all she got was a late-night phone call.

“It was around 10 at night so I didn’t answer and they didn’t leave a message or I didn’t see if they left one. It was weird,” Davis said.

It wasn’t until we spoke Sunday afternoon that she heard about the school year getting pushed back.

That decision came just hours after Pittsburgh Public Schools ran out of devices during a distribution event Saturday morning.

During that event, the district’s chief accountability officer said 13,000 devices are expected to be delivered within the next two weeks.

“We are absolutely working as hard as we can to get them laptops. We’ve got laptops ordered, but with the supply chains the way they are, some of them haven’t arrived like they were supposed to,” said PPS Chief Accountability Officer Theodore Dwyer.

For parents like Davis, it’s a frustrating time.

“I understand. You have to understand, you have no choice,” Davis said.

School board members admit it’s been a nightmare for families, and there’s no guarantee the delay will work.

“I’m suspicious about making another promise that we will be ready again Sept. 8,” said board member Terry Kennedy.

Kennedy said she’s had upset messages from parents who got the robocall Saturday night about the delay.

“If I were in their shoes, I might react the same way. Some of them don’t believe me with all the issues we’ve had. I can’t force them to believe me,” Kennedy said.

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School board president Sylvia Wilson said it was a supply chain issue; distributors couldn’t fulfill promises for laptops in high demand with many people working from home, and districts nationwide going virtual.

“You just have to calm down. It doesn’t help the children. Be patient. We are not in control of how things are delivered,” Wilson said.

But some argue more could and should have been done.

The district pushed back the start of school until Sept. 8. A large shipment of 7,000 laptops is supposed to be delivered this week.

Some are now skeptical they will arrive, and fear the second start date for school could also be pushed back.

Parents angry after Pittsburgh Public Schools abruptly delays start of school due to laptop shortage

Cox Media Group