The decision to close in-person learning at Pittsburgh Public Schools for the NFL draft in April affects parents, caregivers, and students alike.
, scheduled in the city April 23-25. The announcement has parents, caregivers, and students questioning the decision that affects all of their lives. In an email to district staff, Superintendent Wayne Walters said students will shift to remote learning for three days to minimize disruption and keep the focus on instruction.
The NFL draft, taking place in downtown Pittsburgh, is expected to draw as many as 700,000 visitors, according to the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.Despite Democratic enthusiasm, Pennsylvania GOP decisively wins two special election racesis located in the city core, while most are miles from the event. With a total enrollment of around 20,000 students, the decision affects not only students but also caregivers and the students at 136 private, parochial, and charter schools who rely on the district for transportation. The district has to reschedule the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment testing to later dates that have not been released due to the closure of in-person learning. In a news release Tuesday, Waters said the district’s priority is maintaining continuity of learning while recognizing the extraordinary circumstances the city will experience during the NFL draft. “Transitioning to asynchronous learning allows us to support students academically while helping families navigate the logistical challenges expected across the region,” the statement reads.in the fall found that whatever districtwide progress Pittsburgh Public Schools had made in reducing chronic absenteeism was undone in the past school year, as the overall rate rose to 34% from 32% the year before.of Pittsburgh third graders were proficient in reading in the 2024-25 school year, down from 46% the year prior, according to state exam results released last month. Math proficiency, however, did increase by roughly 1 percentage point.The announcement frustrated many parents and left them confused, given how few schools are located near the NFL draft area. One mother whose child attends Taylor Allderdice High School in Squirrel Hill, about 7 miles east of the draft site, said, “There is only one school that is impacted. I understand that decision for them, that makes sense. But our kids need to be in school. We’ve seen the long-term impact remote learning has had, and it isn’t good.” When the NFL draft was held in Detroit in 2024, a record-breaking event for the city, it did not close schools for the event.
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