Home >  Local News >  Neighborhoods

Friday, July 12, 2002

By Jane Elizabeth, Post-Gazette Education Writer

State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, said yesterday he plans to introduce legislation that would expand Pittsburgh's embattled school board by four members.

The plan is similar to one proposed by city councilmen Bob O'Connor and Alan Hertzberg last month, Frankel said. The councilmen want to add four at-large members to the school board who have experience in areas such as education or finance, and who would be appointed by the mayor after being nominated by a civic commission.

Frankel said he supported having members on the board with special training in a particular area. "Their expertise would help in creating a broader perspective on the board," he said.

Although he said he hadn't worked out all details in his bill, he envisions the at-large members coming from a "pool" created by representatives of universities, the teachers union, parent groups, civic organizations, including the Urban League and the NAACP, and others.

Frankel, whose three children will attend public schools in the fall, said he had spoken to O'Connor about the plan.

"Bob and I talked the day after he came out with his proposal. I agree with a lot of what he's proposing," he said.

O'Connor's plan was not legislation -- it was a resolution asking the state Legislature to amend state statutes on school districts. Such resolutions, if approved by council, are sent to members of Allegheny County's state delegation.

But O'Connor decided against pushing his proposal at last week's council meeting, after some other council members appeared lukewarm about the idea. However, he said he wants to hold neighborhood meetings in the fall to talk about expanding the board.

Currently, all nine members of the school board are elected by residents of their own districts. There are no at-large members. The board is known for its bitter 5-4 split on many major votes.

Frankel said he plans to use the remainder of the summer to get his bill "drafted and vetted" among various groups before the Legislature reconvenes in September.

He indicated that his proposal might have more appeal after this week's announcement that three major charitable foundations are withholding funds from the school district because of the board's dysfunction.

While the foundations have not been precise about what the district needs to do to regain the funding, "I think it would be something that might help," Frankel said of the board expansion plan.

In another development yesterday, members of Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Program and Ground Zero announced they'll hold two public events this month "to discuss strategies to improve Pittsburgh Public Schools."

"All of the efforts that PUMP has been pursuing for the past five years to attract and retain young people [in] the city will all be for naught if they don't have confidence in the public schools," said PUMP Executive Director Kristen Szymkowiak in a statement.

"We can attract young people to the city but if they leave after they have children, then we're not building long-term sustainable neighborhoods."

PUMP is a group dedicated to keeping young people in Pittsburgh; Ground Zero is a community development and entrepreneurial group.

A rally will be held in front of the City-County Building, Downtown, at noon Monday. A public forum -- which organizers call a "Wrangle" -- will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at Club Cafe on the South Side.

For more information, contact the PUMP office at 412-338-2133 or go to http://www.pump.org