Council resolution to delay Schenley vote fails

A nonbinding resolution by Pittsburgh Councilwomen Darlene Harris and Tonya Payne to seek a delay in a vote on the fate of Schenley High School couldn't get the necessary five votes today, making it unlikely council will take a position on the closing before the school board is due to vote on it Wednesday.

Ms. Harris and Ms. Payne wanted council to ask the board to put off its vote until the public could study the conflicting accounts on the cost of fixing Schenley and all interested parties could come together. They won the support of colleague Bruce Kraus and Council President Doug Shields, who argued that there are "no easy choices here" but that the district should make its decisions on Schenley only as part of a complete plan for its buildings.

Voting no were council members Ricky Burgess, Dan Deasy and Patrick Dowd. Jim Motznik abstained, and William Peduto was absent.

Mr. Burgess said the resolution's rapid emergence -- just 12 hours after the conclusion of a council public hearing on Schenley -- gave him no time to digest what a delay in closing the school might portend for Westinghouse High and Peabody High, which are in his district.

Council has no formal say over school closings, which are decided solely by the school board.