I’M KRISTEN POWERS. I’M ANDREW STOCKEY IN FOR MIKE CLARK. PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS CONSIDERING CLOSING OVER A DOZEN SCHOOLS. IT’S AN ISSUE THAT HAS STRUCK A MAJOR CHORD IN THE COMMUNITY. REPORTER FELICITY TAYLOR WAS AT THAT MEETING AND JOINS US LIVE NOW. FELICITY, A HUGE TURNOUT TONIGHT. YEAH. THAT’S RIGHT. THE MEETING ACTUALLY JUST ENDED ONLY ABOUT 15 MINUTES AGO. AND WHEN IT WAS STARTING AT 6:00, THERE WAS A LINE OUT THE DOOR HERE TO GET IN TO GIVE SOME PUBLIC COMMENT. ALMOST 130 PEOPLE SIGNING UP TO SPEAK. AND THEY HAD A RESOUNDING MESSAGE FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD. SLOW DOWN AND DO NOT VOTE TO START THAT PROCESS YET. WHY ARE WE RUSHING INTO A VOTE THAT COULD HAVE SUCH DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES FOR THE CITY? PARENTS, STUDENTS AND TEACHERS PACKING THE PITTSBURGH SCHOOL BOARD PUBLIC HEARING MONDAY, TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF WEDNESDAY’S SCHOOL BOARD MEETING, WHERE THE BOARD WILL VOTE ON WHETHER TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF HAVING PUBLIC HEARINGS ON POTENTIALLY CLOSING 14 SCHOOLS, INCLUDING TEN SCHOOL BUILDINGS. THE YEAR’S PLAN IS LACKING IN DATA, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO DEMOGRAPHICS, TRANSPORTATION COSTS AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, PLANS AND LONG TERM COSTS. CONSIDERING THE CREATION OF THIS PLAN WAS DRIVEN BY CONCERNS ABOUT OUR BUDGET DEFICITS, YOU’D THINK WE’D BE LOOKING AT SOME FINANCIAL ESTIMATES. ERS, THE CONSULTING GROUP THAT DID THE FEASIBILITY STUDY, TOLD PPS TO HIRE A DEMOGRAPHER, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN DONE YET. THE MAJORITY OF FAMILIES REPRESENTED WERE FROM CONROY, THE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT CENTER AND WOLFSLAIR. THOSE ARE THREE OF THOSE PROPOSED CLOSURES IN THE PLAN. WHILE MOST SPEAKERS WERE AGAINST CLOSING THE SCHOOLS ALTOGETHER, A SMALL GROUP SAYS THEY UNDERSTAND IT’S NECESSARY. I ALSO BELIEVE IT’S IMPORTANT FOR THE DISTRICT TO BEGIN CLOSING SOME OF THE FACILITIES THAT ARE NO LONGER NEEDED BECAUSE OF DECLINING ENROLLMENT AND THE AGING POPULATION. IT’S NEVER GOING TO BE EASY TO CHOOSE TO CLOSE SCHOOLS. I BELIEVE IT’S YOUR JOB TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO, WHETHER IT’S THE ORIGINAL ERS PLAN, THE UPDATED PLAN THAT WAS ROLLED OUT, OR EVEN THE PARENT PROPOSAL. SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT GENE WALKER, ALSO ADDRESSING THE CROWD. THE WORK THAT WE’VE BEEN DOING UP TO THIS POINT, A LOT OF IT IS REALLY HARD, AND IT CERTAINLY IS NOT AND HAS NOT BEEN PERFECT. WE AND I SHARE MANY OF THE SAME CONCERNS THAT THAT MANY HAVE EXPRESSED, AND SOME WILL EXPRESS TONIGHT, BUT I BELIEVE THIS BOARD IS COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT ALL INFORMATION IS PROVIDED. NO. TAKE THAT VOTE IS SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY. AND AGAIN, THAT VOTE DOESN’T ACTUALLY DECIDE IF THEY’RE GOING TO CLOSE SCHOOLS OR NOT. IT JUST OPENS UP A THREE MONTH PUBLIC COMME