This Policy Brief examines two aspects of public-school education in several Allegheny County districts. The first section looks at enrollment as measured by number of students per 100 persons in the district. The second section focuses on the state Keystone test scores for 11th graders in each district and the expenditures per enrolled student in each district.
The city controller presented Pittsburgh’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) on May 1, showing results from 2025, a year in which the city ran a deficit. The controller expressed the need for growth and a focus on core services to stabilize city finances.
The administration of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and its legion of acolytes, insist that raising the Keystone State’s minimum wage to $15 an hour is a matter of keeping the commonwealth competitive with other states and will bolster population and employment.
It’s no secret that Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) schools, now with 10 universities with 14 campuses, have undergone a drastic enrollment decline since their peak period in 2015 and 2016.
But even with school consolidations and a minor student-count reversal in recent years, a researcher at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy says the prospect for future enrollment gains is not very good.
