Voter guide to Pittsburgh Public Schools Board 7th District election: Bey v. Diodati

Pittsburgh school board members have spent most of the past year debating how to best go about closing schools without disrupting students’ well-being. While the list of schools set to close may be finalized ahead of November’s general election, district administrators have said that no buildings will shutter until after the end of the 2025-2026 school year. That means candidates elected this fall will shape how the district carries out those plans, and whether they are executed with the efficacy needed to rein in district finances and improve students’ academic outcomes.

Your guide to the 2025 election, including races for city and county offices

District 7 spans from the South Side to Carrick, stretching across the city’s Hilltop neighborhoods and Mt. Oliver Borough. The current PPS restructuring proposal, if adopted, would close Roosevelt PreK-5 in Carrick, phase out the magnet program at Phillips K-5, and turn Arlington PreK-8 into a 6-8 middle school. With current school board director Jamie Piotrowski not seeking reelection, library services associate Eva Diodati and constituent services advisor Mahdi Bey are vying to replace her.

School board members — or directors, as they’re known in Pennsylvania — hire and oversee the district superintendent (in this case, Dr. Wayne Walters). They are responsible for evaluating his contract, voting on the district’s annual budget and tax rates, and approving general classroom curriculum. They also draft and enact district policy and review charter school renewal applications.

In Pittsburgh, district board members dually serve as the board of the Pittsburgh-Mt. Oliver Intermediate Unit, which provides services to public, charter, and private schools alike.

Directors serve four-year terms, but they earn no salary. Pennsylvania is one of two states that prohibits school board members from receiving compensation, although some lawmakers are looking to change that.

“Candidates for 5 PPS board spots will face the weight — and legacy — of looming school closures” (Jillian Forstadt, WESA)
“Pittsburgh school board candidate slate launches ahead of Tuesday’s filing deadline” (Jillian Forstadt, WESA)

Courtesy campaign

Bey wants to use his experience working for state Representative Jessica Benham to advocate for District 7’s families and students. Bey is a former PPS student himself, having grown up in Mt. Oliver Borough and the St. Clair neighborhood. He sits on the board of the nearby Hilltop Urban Farm — a community farm that partners with PPS Arlington and youth-serving organizations — and served as treasurer for the 16th Ward Democratic Committee.

Party: Democratic
Place of residence: Carrick
Education: A.S., anesthesia technology, Western School of Health and Business Careers
Current occupation: Constituent services advisor, office of state Rep. Jessica Benham
Related experience: Office of state Rep. Jessica Benham (Dec. 2020-present); PPS parent and District 7 community member
Supporters/endorsements: Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, state Representative Jessica Benham, City Councilors Anthony Coghill and Bob Charland, outgoing school board member Jamie Piotrowski, Pittsburgh Regional Building Trades Council, Allegheny-Fayette County Labor Council
Links: Website | Facebook
Fundraising: None yet reported for this cycle

WESA Candidate Survey

During the past year, PPS filed a lawsuit to force a countywide property tax reassessment, and filed another lawsuit against the city over a longstanding diversion of income tax revenue. Do you support those moves, and more generally, what approach should board members take to address the district’s revenue issues?

First, I use relationships I’ve built to resolve problems. When that fails, I explore other options. I have sat alongside Representative Benham in meetings about the reassessment and income tax diversion. Both Pittsburgh and PPS are struggling financially. I can understand why the city is reluctant to give up the diversion, which is in state law. With regard to the lawsuits, I would place the needs of the district before any other government entity, so while I do not have access to all of the confidential information, it does seem that the lawsuits were justified. On school finances broadly, we need to be working closely with state government.

School closures discussions are ongoing, and it’s likely the next board will have to carry out whatever facility changes current board members decide on in the coming months. What do you see as the board’s main responsibility going forward as it relates to the district’s changing footprint?

While it is likely that decisions on school footprint will be made by the current board before any new members take office, I believe that the main responsibility is to balance the need for financial stability with the needs of Pittsburgh’s children. That means understanding how many kids live in each part of the city, listening closely to community feedback, considering the condition of existing buildings, and only then making decisions about feeder patterns, where to relocate programs, and which buildings to close.

How would you address enrollment loss, whether due to charter schools or to families moving to other school districts?

I’m a proud PPS parent but hear concerns from others who worry about educational outcomes. My son Aries attends Brashear, is captain of the football team, honor roll student, and also works part-time. I’m proud of him and know family support is a big factor in his success. No matter what a child’s life is like outside the school building, they should receive a quality education. The board needs to carefully evaluate how dollars are spent and ensure that teachers and other school staff have the resources that they need to provide quality education and a safe and supportive learning environment.

Many families and stakeholders have expressed concern about transparency and community engagement efforts at the school board level. How do you think the school board should address these concerns, and what’s your plan for engaging voices the board historically hasn’t heard from?

I have been regularly attending community meetings throughout District 7 for over 4 years and would plan to continue making myself available for those meetings. I also work the front desk in Representative Benham’s office, which makes me naturally accessible to anyone who has questions or concerns. However, because I know that not everyone goes to those meetings or has the chance to pop by Rep. Benham’s office, I would plan to hold regular evening office hours, attend school PTO meetings, and also continue going door-to-door if elected because I believe that accessibility doesn’t end after an election.

Pittsburgh schools face additional challenges, including high absenteeism rates, below-average reading and math scores, transportation issues and building infrastructure challenges — many schools lack air conditioning as global temperatures rise. What is the biggest issue you'd like to see addressed, and how?

As a PPS parent who has heard from many other parents, school employees, and stakeholders, it feels impossible to pick one issue as the biggest. However, I do believe that all of the major issues PPS faces have two things in common: lack of efficiency in use of funding and lack of transparency. If we can resolve those issues and work together with partners in state government to address some of the financial and policy constraints under which we operate, every major problem becomes easier to solve.

Courtesy candidate

Diodati is among the Pittsburgh Public Schools alumni on the ballot for school board. They work with students from across the district daily as a teen library services associate at CLP’s Hill District branch, and say they would leverage that experience to create a school district that makes students excited to learn.

Party: Democratic
Place of residence: Carrick
Education: B.A., theater arts, Duquesne University; M.A., English and media, Duquesne University
Current occupation: Teen library services associate at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Related experience: Library services associate (2018-present); treasurer of USW Local Union 9562; cofounder of summer theater camp for teens; former Gemini Children’s Theater board member; former Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh educator
Supporters/endorsements: Black Women for a Better Education, Young Democrats of Allegheny County, Allegheny County Democratic Committee, and USW Local 9562
Links: Website | Facebook
Fundraising: None yet reported for this cycle

WESA Candidate Survey

During the past year, PPS filed a lawsuit to force a countywide property tax reassessment, and filed another lawsuit against the city over a longstanding diversion of income tax revenue. Do you support those moves, and more generally, what approach should board members take to address the district’s revenue issues?

I support these moves because they are what is best for the students in our schools. Our students are the future of Pittsburgh, so if the schools fail, the City of Pittsburgh will fail. I think that we will have to be creative to increase our revenue until such a time as an income tax reassessment and the diversion issues are resolved. That said, PPS has a massive multimillion dollar budget, and we should be doing better than we are; to borrow a line from a friend: PPS is not broke; it is broken.

School closures discussions are ongoing, and it’s likely the next board will have to carry out whatever facility changes current board members decide on in the coming months. What do you see as the board’s main responsibility going forward as it relates to the district’s changing footprint?

The board’s main responsibility is to ensure that whatever moves we make do more good than harm to the students, their families, and their communities. The numbers are clear, and they show that PPS needs to restructure and this will likely mean closures. That said, if a school must close, we should make sure the spirit of the school survives. In addition, empty school buildings are a blight on the communities within which they reside. Any facility closure must be done with a plan in place so that the community survives.

How would you address enrollment loss, whether due to charter schools or to families moving to other school districts?

The only way to increase enrollment is to make Pittsburgh Public Schools the top choice for families. The way we do that is to create a school environment that is producing graduates with well-rounded and complete educations that are ready to enter adulthood. We achieve that by creating equitable education for all PPS students; reducing absenteeism and suspension rates; listening to our educators; and developing strong community connections and buy-in.

Many families and stakeholders have expressed concern about transparency and community engagement efforts at the school board level. How do you think the school board should address these concerns, and what’s your plan for engaging voices the board historically hasn’t heard from?

I think too often the board waits for people to come to them, but this wrongfully assumes that people have the capacity to do that. Not every parent has the time, energy, or access to attend a four-hour session, in person or on Zoom. The saying goes, “If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain.” We engage these voices by getting out from behind the tables and cameras and going into the communities. We should be at community days, local festivals, and public safety meetings. That is how we make change.

Pittsburgh schools face additional challenges, including high absenteeism rates, below-average reading and math scores, transportation issues and building infrastructure challenges — many schools lack air conditioning as global temperatures rise. What is the biggest issue you'd like to see addressed and how?

I think the biggest issue PPS faces is keeping kids excited and engaged with their education from kindergarten through high school. Pittsburgh students are demoralized and disinterested in their education by the time they leave elementary school. Youth are graduating high school without a complete education, and they are ill-prepared to enter adulthood. We must stop the demoralization of our youth. This means equitable education opportunities, increasing community involvement, and getting youth excited about learning.