New Plan for PIttsburgh Westinghouse

Fewer students have opted for the single gender academies this fall at Westinghouse than anticipated, so Pittsburgh School Superintendent Linda Lane has recommended a revised plan. Lane has suggested to the School Board that co-ed program be added to the 2 single gender academies at Westinghouse to avoid overcrowding at Pittsburgh Milliones.

The new 6-12 Pittsburgh Westinghouse will open at the start of the 2011-12 school year with a single-gender magnet program within the school allowing students to receive core course instruction in a single-gender classroom. While instruction in the school’s magnet program will be separated by gender, elective, art, career and technical education courses would be co-ed.

“We had families of over 400 students tell us they wanted a single-gender option for their children. By creating a magnet program at the Westinghouse facility we can honor the choice of these families, while ensuring we are able to provide strong, robust feeder school options for East End families.”

Lane says re-establishing Westinghouse as a feeder pattern school will also avoid overcrowding at Pittsburgh Milliones.

“We need to adjust our current plan so we do not run the risk of disrupting our growing program at Pittsburgh Milliones. We also need to ensure we open our new school at a level that enables us to create an enriching program at the Westinghouse facility that provides the students who live in Homewood the same resources and benefits found in our larger comprehensive high schools.”

A public hearing on the new proposal will be held April 25th and the Board is expected to vote on the new plan at its April 27th Legislative Meeting.