Public Schools could save millions by changing procurement practices, city controller says
By Lauren Linder
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The city controller said Pittsburgh Public Schools could save millions of dollars by changing the way it hands out contracts. She shared her recommendations in a new report.
The district is facing a nearly $26 million budget deficit next year, and Pittsburgh City Controller Rachael Heisler, who also serves as the school district’s controller, believes that could be addressed by enacting new standards when hiring for professional services.
“Are we maximizing every dollar? And the answer right now is no,” Heisler said. “We are not going to the public and searching for the best vendors.”
According to her report, the district is losing out on millions by not always going through a competitive bidding process when handing out contracts for professional services, something already done by Philadelphia. It said the district only did this about four out of 498 times from January 2024 through August 2025.
Instead, Heisler said the district is trying to save money by, for example, telling teachers they cannot order paper or access crayons.
“We can’t impact student outcomes through these arbitrary cost-saving measures,” Heisler said. “That’s silly, right?”
However, Heisler said even saving money may not be enough to stop the district from closing schools.
“The footprint conversation needs to continue to happen, because the district is contracting in size as it relates to student enrollment,” Heisler said.
In response to the report, the district referred KDKA to a statement at the end of the document from its solicitor:
“The report confirms that the procurement practices of the School District of Pittsburgh including its practices with Requests for Proposals are in conformity with the Public School Code, the Pennsylvania Procurement Code and other applicable laws.”
“That’s the bare minimum. I mean, I think it’s not unfair to expect the school district to go above and beyond as it relates to procurement,” Heisler said.
Despite the district’s statement, Heisler said she’s already talked to school board members who have shown interest in making changes.
“There is nothing stopping us from doing this,” Heisler said.
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