Amid enrollment decline, Pittsburgh-area colleges ponder combined operations as way to save

WESA 9/27 11:35P Oliver Morrison

At least five Pittsburgh-area private universities and colleges are looking into outsourcing back office work to a single nonprofit consortium.

Free teaching kitchen opens, celebrates intergenerational lifestyles in Western Pa.

WESA 9/24 11:00P Abby Yoder

A free teaching kitchen for WIC families is set to open in Kittanning, Pa.

Review of Penn State contracts reveals false filings, questions about trustee disclosures

WESA 9/23 8:00A Wyatt Massey | Spotlight PA Stat

A Spotlight PA review found that Penn State reported false contract information and a university trustee failed to disclose more than $250,000 paid to a related business over three years.

Pa. Republicans and Democrats like their own schools — but believe other districts are failing kids

WESA 9/21 11:32P Chris Potter

A WESA-Campos survey of 400 adults from Allegheny and surrounding counties shows that ideology drives perceptions of what schools should focus on, while proximity shapes how satisfied you are with the job they are doing.

Class of 2028 will be the last to receive the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship

WESA 9/21 3:53A Jillian Forstadt

Executive director Saleem Ghubril sent a letter to parents in the district this week framed as an “important reminder” that the organization would not offer Promise scholarships post-2028.

Shapiro signs executive order establishing board to guide the state's use of generative AI

WESA 9/20 11:05P Jillian Forstadt

Shapiro said the governing board will help state agencies find ways to use AI to improve government services while also establishing guardrails.

Pittsburgh Public Schools sues state over adjusted ‘age-out’ rule for special education students

WESA 9/19 11:00P Jillian Forstadt

PPS and the other plaintiffs are seeking an injunction that would stop the state from implementing the new age-out rule for students with special needs and draft a new one with additional district input.

Pa. school breakfast is free for all, but whether students eat it depends on the delivery

WESA 9/18 11:34P Kate Giammarise, Jillian Forstad

Schools have historically struggled to feed all kids who are eligible for the breakfast program. Only 52 students participate in breakfast for every 100 that participate in school lunch nationwide, according to a report from the 2021-22 school year.

Lawmakers grapple with fixing Pa.’s unconstitutional school funding system

WESA 9/16 1:00A Stephen Caruso | Spotlight PA, K

Lawmakers were told a fix will cost $6.2 billion, but there’s little consensus on that and other bedrock issues.

Casey urges federal money be restored to hunter safety, archery courses

WESA 9/15 8:00A Ben Wasserstein

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey is asking Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to restore federal funding for hunter safety and archery courses in schools.

Racial equity audit challenges Pittsburgh schools to further address disparities in student...

WESA 9/12 11:56P Jillian Forstadt

According to the team of consultants contracted to independently conduct the audit, the majority Black schools in the district had a suspension rate 5 times greater than majority white campuses.

As Pittsburgh schools enact tougher rules on phones, students and parents push back

WESA 9/12 12:00A Jillian Forstadt

More than a dozen Pittsburgh public schools introduced new measures this year to restrict cell phones in the classroom, citing a need to reduce classroom distractions and the number of phone-related disciplinary infractions.

Penn State asking for a 33% increase in state funding for upcoming year

WESA 9/9 1:00A Anne Danahy

Penn State will ask the state for a 33% increase in funding for the upcoming budget year, even as the university waits for state legislators to agree on funding for this fiscal year.

Sofo no longer "actively running" for PPS board seat, will still be on ballot

WESA 9/8 11:20A Jillian Forstadt

Sofo said he reached out on Aug. 22 to the Allegheny County Elections Division, seeking to remove his name from the ballot, but he found he had missed the Aug. 14 deadline to do so.

College students are still struggling with basic math. Professors blame the pandemic

WESA 9/5 7:00A Collin Binkley | Associated Pres

U.S. colleges are searching for solutions as they see alarming numbers of students arrive with gaps in their math skills. Colleges and experts blame pandemic learning setbacks.