40 Pittsburgh schools to shift to remote learning Thursday due to heat
Pittsburgh Public Schools plans to temporarily close 40 district schools in favor of remote learning Thursday because of anticipated high temperatures.
For a list of the affected schools, which officials said do not have sufficient air-conditioning, click here: www.pghschools.org/Page/6250.
Students from those schools will receive virtual instruction on Thursday and Friday, district spokeswoman Ebony Pugh said. Grab-and-go meals will be available at 14 locations across the city.
The move comes just one day after district Superintendent Wayne N. Walters announced his Extreme Heat Protocol for district schools.
The protocol “will guide decisions regarding heat-related building closures and other actions, while increasing transparency for staff and families,” Pugh said.
As part of the protocol, when the National Weather Service forecasts temperatures to be higher than 85 degrees or the heat index to exceed 90 degree for one or more days, officials will monitor temperatures inside each school to inform decisions about potential remote learning. Temperatures are expected to soar into the 90s on Thursday and Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
The superintendent has committed to making the decision as early as possible to minimize last-minute disruptions for students, families and staff, Pugh said.
For more information, people can call the district’s parent hotline at 412-529-4857.
Justin Vellucci is a TribLive reporter covering crime and public safety in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. A longtime freelance journalist and former reporter for the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press, he worked as a general assignment reporter at the Trib from 2006 to 2009 and returned in 2022. He can be reached at jvellucci@triblive.com.
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