Classic politics
I went out on assignment recently at Channel 4 to cover a meeting between a representative of the Pittsburgh Public School District and the parents/alumni of Schenley High School.
The administrators want to close down the 91-year old school, one of only four International Baccalaureate high schools in PA, saying that they don't have the $60+ million they would need to renovate the reportedly asbestos-ridden school and make it safe for students.
The Board also hopes that the closure would help them pool together some cash for a project that proposes to build four new "learning communities" in the area, each catered to a particular realm of academics.
The parents and alumni, on the other hand, seemed to generally agree that they believe the Board is overestimating the costs of the renovation, withholding information about the true severity of the asbestos problem, and ultimately abandoning the school without first considering all of their options.
The school is considered a historic building, so technically there should be some extra money available to help with the costs of the renovation. But I heard no one bring up this point in the short time I spent at the meeting, so I'm not sure whether the administration has considered that or not.
It was interesting to see a community so passionately defending part of its history, and for some members of that community, the site of some of their cherished childhood memories. It was just as interesting, however, to see the Board defend their ambitious plans for an expansion that certainly sounds impressive on paper.
My photographer got some tape of the meeting, and then we spoke to a few individuals on the side. Everyone was willing to talk, which made this one of those great experiences where being a journalist simply meant listening. I didn't even really have to ask many questions, I just let them say what they wanted to say, because it was all meaningful and important in the context.
I hope there are more stories like this one for me in the future, because I feel that these kinds of events are some of the most exciting in local news.