Pittsburgh Public Schools Again Delays Return To Classrooms

PITTSBURGH, PA —After planning to resume hybrid instruction on Feb. 8, the Pittsburgh Public Schools will not have any students in classrooms until after spring break. School directors on Wednesday voted 7-2 to continue virtual instruction until at least April 6.

The vote came a week after the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers approved a resolution advocating that a return to classrooms be delayed until all teachers receive both doses of the coronavirus vaccine. Pennsylvania currently is in Phase 1A of the vaccination program; public school employees are in Phase 1B and there is no definitive timetable yet as to when that phase will begin.

The school district and the teachers union both have said they are working with Allegheny County and the UPMC Health System on a comprehensive plan to get educators vaccinated as soon as possible.

Pittsburgh Public Schools students have not had in-school instruction since last March.

The district has an enrollment of nearly 23,000 students and has 2,070 teachers.

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