The Pittsburgh Public Schools Board at its public agenda review meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. (Photo by Pamela Smith/PublicSource)
Black students are more likely to receive citations, which can blot future background checks. Under a proposed new policy, principals should consider supportive steps.
Pittsburgh schools may start reissuing summary citations against students after introducing a revised policy on student conduct on Wednesday.
The district placed a temporary pause on summary citations or non-traffic citations in July and later extended it twice while officials worked out a permanent solution.
Summary citations are issued for the most minor criminal offenses, often resulting in fines. According to a 2020 Black Girls Equity Alliance report, 492 students received citations in Allegheny County in the prior year, of which nearly a third were issued by Pittsburgh Public Schools [PPS] police.
The revised policy, introduced by the policy and the operations and safety committees at a Wednesday evening meeting, proposes changes to how the school principals must be notified before a citation is filed. The board will vote on the proposal during a scheduled legislative meeting on Feb. 28. If it passes, school principals will be required to determine whether an offense merits a citation or other supports such as an Individualized Education Plan or the Student Assistance Program.
The revised policy would also require the district to prepare a monthly report detailing summary citations, arrests and referrals to law enforcement.
Jamie Piotrowski, board member and Policy Committee chair, said these reports will give the board greater oversight over the issuance of citations.
Under the new policy, if a summary citation is filed, school principals will be required to notify the student’s parents or guardians and provide them with the name and address of the local magistrate.
Board President Gene Walker said the proposed changes will help the board in understanding whether the policy needs further revisions.
“It really comes down to how it’s implemented, and then how well we as a school board hold the district accountable to the reporting requirements,” he said.
Board member Sylvia Wilson, who opposed the moratorium last year, said the district should ensure citations are written correctly and only in serious cases of assaults or thefts. She added the revised policy will help to eliminate citations that were earlier given out by error.
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