Pittsburgh Public Schools changing start date again

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Public School District announced Wednesday that the start date for the 2021-22 school year has changed again.

Superintendent Anthony Hamlet sent a message that the board will vote during a Wednesday meeting on a revised schedule, which includes a start date of Sept. 3, the Friday before Labor Day weekend. Teachers will return Aug. 30.

Previously, the district proposed a start date of Sept. 8, citing busing issues.

The earlier date allows all students to start as early as possible while also giving the district time to fully implement transportation strategies designed to meet the bus driver shortage and transport students to school every day, according to Hamlet’s message.

The calendar also converts four previously scheduled school-based vacation days into instructional days. Those days include the election days of Nov. 2 and May 17; the Monday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 29; and the Monday after spring break on April 18. The last day for students will be June 16.

“I understand the challenges that many of our families have faced this past year and continue to face as we continue to manage the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Hamlet said in the message. “Our number one goal remains to have all students PreK-12 across the city in school 5 days a week for in-person instruction.”

In Hamlet’s message to parents, he said he understands that many parents made arrangements to accommodate the later start date.

Part of the solution to the transportation issue has hundreds of students riding Port Authority buses to and from school.

Some parents told Channel 11 they’ve lost trust in the Pittsburgh Public School Administration.

“We never thought we’d have to fight just to get them in school,” explained Parent Jeffrey Bigham.

Pittsburgh Public Schools pushes back start date

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